The Brit-Polonian Connection
By Robert Strybel, Polish/Polonian Affairs Writer
Over the past four years, since Poland’s joined the European Union, more than two millions Poles have found work abroad, mainly in the British Isles. The result has been the emergence of a completely new Polonia. New Polish publications, Web sites, businesses and organizations have been set up. Many previously poorly attended or nearly-defunct Catholic parishes have bee revitalized, and thousands of Polish babies have been born. In those parts of England, Wales, Scotland, Ulster and Ireland where Polish migrant workers are concentrated, they are often sufficiently numerous to influence their surroundings. In the future, the recent influx of Polish immigrants may become a significant political force in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Whatever the case, there are now enough new-wave Poles in the British Isles to warrant a closer look at some of their activities.
