Under-Appreciated, Under-Employed and Potentially Unwelcome: The Long-Term Future of Polish Migrants in Ireland and Britain

Abstract

This chapter provides an initial examination of the issues facing the Polish migrants who have moved to Ireland, England, and Wales. It focuses on the Poles in Britain but the Irish case is also relevant and is examined. The Polish community was chosen because it is the largest group numerically to move. In both Britain and Ireland Poles were the faces of intra-EU migration from the East and therefore were the target of more attention and at times scorn compared to other groups. It is clear that the Polish community in Britain and Ireland represent a departure from the traditional field of migration studies. The chapter ends by asking the question: who should be responsible for ensuring that the rights of the intra-EU migrants are protected and that the social cohesion of the community is maintained now that these states have a new semi-permanent minority within their borders. Keywords:Britain; intra-EU migrants; Ireland; migration studies; Polish migrants