Central among them are fears that immigrants will take locals' jobs, take advantage of welfare benefits, and put a strain on the provision of health care, housing, and education.
Moreover, while Britons admit that most Poles are hard workers, and are often overqualified for the work they do, many nevertheless feel unease over the ever-growing 'Polanization' of neighborhoods, boroughs and communities.
Ewa Dunowska, a Pole who has lived in Britain for over 10 years, told TVN that "now, the British do not like us," adding that "there are too many of us, and they have a right to feel this way in their own country." Ms. Dunowska added with embarrassment for her countrymen that many Poles take unfair advantage of the country's social benefits. "The British system has a number of loopholes in its rules, which a lot of people now living in clover have learned to bypass."
TVN points out that the Conservative government has being doing more and more to reduce social benefits and to close loopholes, reducing the jobseeker's allowance to 3 months. Planning to hold an 'in/out' referendum on membership in the EU in 2017, the government is simultaneously initiating programs to limit the influx of immigrants.
Difficult conditions in many regions of Poland push many to continue dreaming of a move to the UK, which, according to TVN, is still considered "a place where one can fulfill one's dreams and earn some extra money." Still, with many highly skilled professionals forced to work menial, low pay jobs, while facing growing ethnic animosity from locals, some Poles are considering returning home.
