Opposition leader encourages return of UK Poles

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has written a letter to Polish immigrants in the UK in connection with recent disparaging comments made about them by Prime Minister David Cameron suggesting they abuse the UK's social security system. Amidst many anti-immigrant comments made by Cameron in recent months, in an interview at the beginning of January the UK PM said he would try to renegotiate his country's membership with the EU to allow it to withhold child benefit in these circumstances singling out people from Poland as he made the case for change. The comments caused an uproar in Poland and both Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Kaczyński called Cameron to voice their disapproval at the remarks. In Kaczyński's letter, he said that recent comments made by British politicians could be interpreted as a “lack of the appreciation on the part of various political parties about the important input [Poles] bring to the UK economy.” Kaczyński said PiS would always “defend” Poles living abroad. The PiS leader also said that as soon as the possibility and perspectives appear, Polish immigrants in the UK should return to Poland.