16:35 13 November 2022
One-third of Polish key workers thinking of returning from British Isles to Poland
A third of Polish key workers in the UK are planning to return to Poland or are undecided about staying, according to a survey conducted by British scholars. They cite discrimination at work and a feeling of being unwelcome after Brexit, Covid-19, unsafe working conditions, low pay, and job insecurity as reasons.
For the study, researchers from Middlesex University, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Sheffield interviewed 1,105 Polish key workers, including in-depth interviews with 40 respondents. The respondents work in industries such as health and social care, transportation, education and childcare, utilities, and goods manufacturing.
"Among Polish key workers, the general feeling of belonging to the UK, of being welcomed and feeling at home there diminished significantly after the pandemic. Many of the Polish key workers spoke of feeling discriminated against and unwanted at work and in their communities," Dr. Katarzyna Narkowicz of Middlesex University, one of the authors of the study, pointed out.
