Brexit and Polonia: Challenges facing the Polish Community during the process of Britain leaving the European Union

170 Pages·2018·3.156 MB·English

by  Michael Fleming

In its key message for political decision-makers this edited
volume is timely, crucial, but most of all straightforward. The

message is simple: Brexit is not just about macro-political shifts,
legal earthquakes and the forging of future global alliances. Brexit
is about real people, leading real ordinary lives that are about to be
severely disrupted. Millions of people in the United Kingdom –
migrants, non-migrants, British and EU citizens – are going to
have to adapt to new social and economic conditions. Among
them, a large group of Polish citizens who have their own
concerns about what the new, post-Brexit Britain will look like.
The majority of them call this country their home. It will be up to
British and European politicians to make sure this home is a
pleasant one. This book is a must-read for anyone seriously
committed to this task.
Dr Michał Garapich
University of Roehampton, London
The publication provides the reader with a thorough sociological
and legal analysis based on solid empirical material. It truly
captures the essence of the right to withdraw from the EU on the
example of Brexit, which can be described in one word –
uncertainty.
Dr Waldemar Gontarski
European School of Law and Administration, Warsaw

ISBN: 978-0-95688 39-6-4
Brexit and Polonia: Challenges facing the
Polish Community during the process of
Britain leaving the European Union
The Polish University Abroad thanks the De Brzezie Lanckoronski
Foundation and The Hanna & Zdzislaw Broncel Charitable Trust for
financially supporting this publication.
iii

Brexit and Polonia: Challenges facing the Polish Community
during the process of Britain leaving the European Union

Edited by
Michael Fleming
The Polish University Abroad, London

The Polish University Abroad thanks the De Brzezie Lanckoronski

Foundation and The Hanna & Zdzislaw Broncel Charitable Trust for
financially supporting this publication.
iv v

Contents
The article by Sascha O. Becker, Thiemo Fetzer and Dennis Novy ‘The
fundamental factors behind the Brexit vote’ was previously published at Acknowledgements vii
VoxEU.org here: https://voxeu.org/article/fundamental-factors-behind- Notes on Contributors / Speakers at the 2017 Conference ix
brexit-vote ©VoxEU.org.

Introduction 1
© PUNO PRESS, 2018
Michael Fleming
The Polish University Abroad,

238-246 King Street, London, W6 0RF, United Kingdom.

E-mail: [email protected]
Part 1: The socio-cultural contours of Brexit 25
Telephone: [phone]

Printed and bound in Great Britain by CE Print Limited in Bristol. The fundamental factors behind the Brexit vote 27
Sascha O. Becker, Thiemo Fetzer and Dennis Novy
All rights reserved. No reproduction of any part of this publication may take
place without the written permission of PUNO PRESS. Migration in EU referendum campaign ephemera 35
PUNO PRESS has no responsibility for the accuracy or continuation of Alexandra Bulat
URLs of third-party internet websites referred to in this publication.
The origins of the Polish Diaspora in the UK after the

Second World War: Poles in the UK 45
The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of the
Agata Błaszczyk
work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.

Part 2: Brexit in relation to Britain’s Polish community 61
ISBN: 978-0-9568839-6-4

Experiences of Polish-born adolescents in Britain during the
run-up to Brexit 63
Sara Young

Should we stay or should we go? Poles in the UK during
Brexit 83
Grażyna Czubińska, Magdalena Łużniak-Piecha,
Agnieszka Golińska and Justyna Kulczyk

Brexit Mobilities: Anticipating a new Polish mobility regime
in the UK 105
Kathy Burrell
iv v

Contents
The article by Sascha O. Becker, Thiemo Fetzer and Dennis Novy ‘The
fundamental factors behind the Brexit vote’ was previously published at Acknowledgements vii
VoxEU.org here: https://voxeu.org/article/fundamental-factors-behind- Notes on Contributors / Speakers at the 2017 Conference ix
brexit-vote ©VoxEU.org.

Introduction 1
© PUNO PRESS, 2018
Michael Fleming
The Polish University Abroad,

238-246 King Street, London, W6 0RF, United Kingdom.

E-mail: [email protected]
Part 1: The socio-cultural contours of Brexit 25
Telephone: [phone]

Printed and bound in Great Britain by CE Print Limited in Bristol. The fundamental factors behind the Brexit vote 27
Sascha O. Becker, Thiemo Fetzer and Dennis Novy
All rights reserved. No reproduction of any part of this publication may take
place without the written permission of PUNO PRESS. Migration in EU referendum campaign ephemera 35
PUNO PRESS has no responsibility for the accuracy or continuation of Alexandra Bulat
URLs of third-party internet websites referred to in this publication.
The origins of the Polish Diaspora in the UK after the

Second World War: Poles in the UK 45
The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of the
Agata Błaszczyk
work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.

Part 2: Brexit in relation to Britain’s Polish community 61
ISBN: 978-0-9568839-6-4

Experiences of Polish-born adolescents in Britain during the
run-up to Brexit 63
Sara Young

Should we stay or should we go? Poles in the UK during
Brexit 83
Grażyna Czubińska, Magdalena Łużniak-Piecha,
Agnieszka Golińska and Justyna Kulczyk

Brexit Mobilities: Anticipating a new Polish mobility regime
in the UK 105
Kathy Burrell
vi vii

Part 3: Brexit as seen by (representatives of) the Polish Acknowledgements
community in the UK 119
This book brings together papers presented at a conference
EU citizens’ rights – two realities 121 focused on the challenges facing the Polish community during the
Wiktor Moszczyński process of Britain leaving the European Union that took place on 16
December 2017. The conference was organised by The Polish
Brexit concerns as seen by the Federation of Poles in Great University Abroad (the Institute of Social Science and the Institute of
Britain and how they can be addressed 130 European Culture) and received funding from the Polonia Aid
Włodzimierz Mier-Jędrzejowicz Foundation Trust and the Young Polish Emigrants’ Association. The
organisers of the conference thank these organisations for their support.
The impact of Brexit on inclusion and integration of Poles in The conference organisers also thank all the speakers who
the UK 134 presented their work at the conference. The organisers especially thank
Barbara Drozdowicz Andy Slaughter, Member of Parliament for Hammersmith (Labour),
and Sally Hamwee, a Liberal Democrat peer and spokesperson on
Implications of Brexit for Polish business in the United Home Affairs, for their contribution to the conference and for sharing
Kingdom and abroad 139 their views on Brexit and its impact on Britain’s EU communities.
Katarzyna Bogusławska Special thanks are due to the following people who helped to
organise the conference and ensured that it was a success: Halina
Brexit and Polish children in the UK 143 Stochniol, Danuta Nadaj, Magdalena Zegarlińska, Roman Mazur,
Adriana Górka Grażyna Czubińska, Halina Taborska, Wojtek Rappak, Edyta
Kozłowska, Agata Pempera, Ilona Mościcka, Ula Walczak, Andrzej
Nawój, Maciej Borzecki, Piotr Surmaczyński.
Part 4: A view from parliament 145 The Polish University Abroad thanks the De Brzezie Lanckoronski
Foundation and The Hanna & Zdzislaw Broncel Charitable Trust for
European Citizens 147 financially supporting the publication of Brexit and Polonia:
Sally Hamwee Challenges facing the Polish Community during the process of Britain
leaving the European Union.

Appendix: Conference Programme (16 December 2017) 150

Index 152
vi vii

Part 3: Brexit as seen by (representatives of) the Polish Acknowledgements
community in the UK 119
This book brings together papers presented at a conference
EU citizens’ rights – two realities 121 focused on the challenges facing the Polish community during the
Wiktor Moszczyński process of Britain leaving the European Union that took place on 16
December 2017. The conference was organised by The Polish
Brexit concerns as seen by the Federation of Poles in Great University Abroad (the Institute of Social Science and the Institute of
Britain and how they can be addressed 130 European Culture) and received funding from the Polonia Aid
Włodzimierz Mier-Jędrzejowicz Foundation Trust and the Young Polish Emigrants’ Association. The
organisers of the conference thank these organisations for their support.
The impact of Brexit on inclusion and integration of Poles in The conference organisers also thank all the speakers who
the UK 134 presented their work at the conference. The organisers especially thank
Barbara Drozdowicz Andy Slaughter, Member of Parliament for Hammersmith (Labour),
and Sally Hamwee, a Liberal Democrat peer and spokesperson on
Implications of Brexit for Polish business in the United Home Affairs, for their contribution to the conference and for sharing
Kingdom and abroad 139 their views on Brexit and its impact on Britain’s EU communities.
Katarzyna Bogusławska Special thanks are due to the following people who helped to
organise the conference and ensured that it was a success: Halina
Brexit and Polish children in the UK 143 Stochniol, Danuta Nadaj, Magdalena Zegarlińska, Roman Mazur,
Adriana Górka Grażyna Czubińska, Halina Taborska, Wojtek Rappak, Edyta
Kozłowska, Agata Pempera, Ilona Mościcka, Ula Walczak, Andrzej
Nawój, Maciej Borzecki, Piotr Surmaczyński.
Part 4: A view from parliament 145 The Polish University Abroad thanks the De Brzezie Lanckoronski
Foundation and The Hanna & Zdzislaw Broncel Charitable Trust for
European Citizens 147 financially supporting the publication of Brexit and Polonia:
Sally Hamwee Challenges facing the Polish Community during the process of Britain
leaving the European Union.

Appendix: Conference Programme (16 December 2017) 150

Index 152
viii ix

Notes on Contributors / Speakers at the 2017 Conference

Sascha O. Becker is the Deputy Head of the Department of Economics
and the Research Director of the ESRC Centre for Competitive
Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) at the University of
Warwick.

Agata Błaszczyk is currently the head of the Polish Emigration
Research Unit at The Polish University Abroad (PUNO) in London.
She is a university teacher in Modern History and Sociology. Agata’s
research examines historical and cultural sources and meanings of exile
and forced migration, as well as the significance of encampment,
enclosures and forced settlement. She is a member of the Young
Academics Network Foundation for European Progressive Studies
(Brussels).

Katarzyna Bogusławska is a solicitor and partner at the law firm
Carter Lemon Camerons LLP. Katarzyna has extensive expertise in
commercial, employment and company law and has worked with a
wide range of clients from start-up owners through to SMEs and some
of the global main-players who need advice on business related matters.
Katarzyna advises and represents Polish businesses both in the UK and
Poland across a number of sectors. Through long-term relationships and
understanding the specific needs of her clients she is able to offer legal
support and assist them in achieving their goals.

Alexandra Bulat is an ESRC-funded research student at the School of
Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College
London (UCL). Her doctoral research focuses on attitudes towards EU
migrants in East Ham and Clacton. She interviews British, Romanian
and Polish-born people living in these two UK constituencies.
Previously, Alexandra mainly researched Romanian migration in the
UK. Alexandra tweets @alexandrabulat.

Kathy Burrell is a Reader in Social and Cultural Geography at the
University of Liverpool. She has researched and written extensively on
Polish migration to the UK – WW2, socialist and transition era, and
post 2004, focusing especially on aspects of migration narratives,
experiences of mobility and the material cultures and infrastructures of
viii ix

Notes on Contributors / Speakers at the 2017 Conference

Sascha O. Becker is the Deputy Head of the Department of Economics
and the Research Director of the ESRC Centre for Competitive
Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) at the University of
Warwick.

Agata Błaszczyk is currently the head of the Polish Emigration
Research Unit at The Polish University Abroad (PUNO) in London.
She is a university teacher in Modern History and Sociology. Agata’s
research examines historical and cultural sources and meanings of exile
and forced migration, as well as the significance of encampment,
enclosures and forced settlement. She is a member of the Young
Academics Network Foundation for European Progressive Studies
(Brussels).

Katarzyna Bogusławska is a solicitor and partner at the law firm
Carter Lemon Camerons LLP. Katarzyna has extensive expertise in
commercial, employment and company law and has worked with a
wide range of clients from start-up owners through to SMEs and some
of the global main-players who need advice on business related matters.
Katarzyna advises and represents Polish businesses both in the UK and
Poland across a number of sectors. Through long-term relationships and
understanding the specific needs of her clients she is able to offer legal
support and assist them in achieving their goals.

Alexandra Bulat is an ESRC-funded research student at the School of
Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College
London (UCL). Her doctoral research focuses on attitudes towards EU
migrants in East Ham and Clacton. She interviews British, Romanian
and Polish-born people living in these two UK constituencies.
Previously, Alexandra mainly researched Romanian migration in the
UK. Alexandra tweets @alexandrabulat.

Kathy Burrell is a Reader in Social and Cultural Geography at the
University of Liverpool. She has researched and written extensively on
Polish migration to the UK – WW2, socialist and transition era, and
post 2004, focusing especially on aspects of migration narratives,
experiences of mobility and the material cultures and infrastructures of