But a spokesperson for the Federation of Poles in Great Britain today insisted that at least half a million Polish workers will stay here with their families.
Spokesman Wiktor Moszczynski said: "They have developed roots here, especially because of their children, and would not want to uproot their families to return to Poland which is also facing uncertainty because of the global economic crisis.
‘They are choosing to sit out the credit crunch in the UK for now and wait for the economy to improve."
The group also says that ‘a large proportion’ of the estimated 500,000 Poles who will stay in the UK are families with young children.’
Research published by the Federation also shows that there has been a 42.9 per cent increase in the number of Polish-speaking children in schools in London.
Around 200,000 Poles have left the UK in the past year, particularly childless couples or single workers who are now looking for work in countries such as Norway or Holland.
Professor George Kolankiewicz, of the Centre for East European Language Based Area Studies University College London said: ‘With the five year permanent residence status now coming closer for the first wave of post 2004 migrants we are seeing labour migration turning into settlement.
‘All research indicates that they are not likely to seek UK citizenship in the short term but will make their future here as Polish citizens under the umbrella of EU legislation.’
Sectors where large numbers of eastern European immigrants are employed – including the building and distribution industries – have been the hardest hit by the economic slump.
Source of http://www.dailymail.co.uk
