To ask what you think of Eastern Europeans living in the UK?

[Bananasinpjs7]

I have lived in the UK for almost 10 years which is pretty much a 1/3 of my life. I never thought I’d stay this long but met my partner here and decided to build a career in an industry that we don’t really have in my home country... yet.
I’m trying my best... language wise I think I’m pretty fluent. English is the language I speak 95% of the time.
I try to fit in as much as possible, learn as much as I can about the UK to understand it’s history and culture...
But I feel extremely left out ... I feel people look at me and think ‘she is from eastern eu’ as if it has some sort of stigma. It feels like if you are from somewhere glamorous like France or Scandinavian countries you are much more accepted... I’m so tired of constantly feeling like this

I meant to add that whilst we only tend to see middle class professionals / or young university grads from Western European countries we see the whole social spectrum from Eastern Europe, including highly skilled professionals.

@TazSyd Internalized stereotypes.

www.ft.com/content/c49043a8-6447-11e4-b219-00144feabdc0

Btw. There is a huge polish community in Germany. Many low skilled workers coming to work every day through the border because historical ties. The whole region of Poland called Silesia has a very complex identity (and history) so they see Germany as not so foreign land.

Personally I feel that anyone should be allowed to live wherever they want as long as they’re prepared to work hard and follow the laws.

many think they are superior in general to Irish

It’s funny you should mention this. I remember when the Brexit vote was happening and it was agreed that Irish nationals would retain the rights they have under the CTA, two of my Polish friends were quite angry about it.

@deragod

Your link may add to the discussion but it’s behind a paywall.

Personally I feel that anyone should be allowed to live wherever they want as long as they’re prepared to work hard and follow the laws

This is really very unrealistic and unworkable. If everyone who's hard working and law abiding in the world and wished to live in the UK was able to, we'd be falling off the coast we'd be so full.

they put it down to the amount of Eastern European’s who have been allowed to come here with children, work part time and claim a lot of benefits,
it made sense for those people to jump on a cheap flight and be immediately entitled to benefits here

Really? Because it took me ages and several goes to even get a NI number, much less qualify for anything. I only claim CB for one child anyways.

@TazSyd
Long story short: EE pay more than take. And Poles in the UK en masse are well educated and low skilled workers prefer Germany.
Sadly article lacks commentary about other nations.

Only read the OP. I'll share my experience of eastern Europeans in the UK.

Hard working, straight talking, high moral standards.

My boss is Romanian - hes a prick
Another co worker is Romanian - hes one of the loveliest people i have ever met (and the sexiest )
I've worked with polish and Romanian women - blunt, straight talking to the point they migjt be considered rude but so kind and caring would do anything for me - again, high morals.

My dd's school friend is polish, her mum speaks little english so we communicate via the dd, it can be awkward. We give the dd lifts to shared activities with dd. Every so often we recieve home cooked dishes and tokens of thanks - totally unexpected we are going to the place anyway but i get the impression is tradition. Very religious family.

So just like other nationalities some are lovely, some are not

Ive been lucky enough to work in very diverse work places and my experience of peopme who move to another country to work and build a new life are hardworking people. It works the other way too i think - my aunt eent to Australia and her and her husband were extremely hard working

OP, I’m so sorry! I’m Scandi and regularly receive a much warmer welcome than my Eastern European friends. It’s really really shit. It’s not you. It’s them

@ComeOnBabyPopMyBubble

DPs ex arrived here as a single mother with a 12 month old, she was immediately housed in a flat, paid for with housing benefit and given a hardship bonus that was enough to buy a car. 12 years later and she has never worked more than 20 hours a week in a minimum wage job. She also now has a council house. I actually don’t blame her for coming here to try and build a better life for her child but no one can claim that she isn’t a cost to the country.

My point is, that we don’t see this demographic from Western European countries, as they are better off staying at home. Whereas we see the whole social spectrum from Eastern Europe, as even the lowest financial demographic are better off moving here.

I looked at the statistics once and the movement between the UK and western European countries ie Germany, Spain, France is pretty even in terms of direction so similar numbers of Brits going there compared with them coming here. I looked at the stats for Poland and I can't remember the exact figures but numbers of Polish people coming to the UK was hundreds of thousands but Brits going there was something like a few thousand...
I actually think freedom of movement is a good idea in theory but really can only work if countries are very similar in an economic sense. I think the EE countries were rushed in too quickly. Most countries initially put restrictions on numbers entering but the UK didn't.

Also want to say sorry you have experienced this OP.

There are dicks and wonderful people everywhere. I'm not approaching you with a preconception about where you're from, just interested what you're like as a person.

Interested in the things you can tell me about where you're from as I am with any person I meet, be that someone from down the road or another country!

And I don't for a minute blame anyone who wants to come to another country to improve their lot, but an increased labour market keeps wages down.

*“So I'm not sure how anyone could say that we are all nice and hard-working and friendly?!?
I mean, it's nice that people think that but we can't all be forced together like that. Also can't all be nice friendly and hard-working“

It's really cringe worthy virtue signalling...not this thread but I once read on here something like...'i've never met an immigrant I didn't like'.
It's actually embarrassing.*

Absolutely agree. In the same way that we get the whole spectrum of economic situations, we also get the whole spectrum of personalities, some are nice and hardworking, some aren’t. At one end of the spectrum, we also get some criminals (sorry if that offends the snowflakes).

DPs ex arrived here as a single mother with a 12 month old, she was immediately housed in a flat, paid for with housing benefit and given a hardship bonus that was enough to buy a car. 12 years later and she has never worked more than 20 hours a week in a minimum wage job. She also now has a council house. I actually don’t blame her for coming here to try and build a better life for her child but no one can claim that she isn’t a cost to the country

Can't get worked up about this.

Some people from other countries will work and contribute and never take anything out. Some will do this.

Some people born here will work and contribute and never take anything out. Some will do the above.

Diversity and acceptance is much more important to me than my taxes being spent on the few people (UK born or not) who cost the system rather than contribute. And it is few.

Diversity and acceptance is much more important to me than my taxes being spent on the few people (UK born or not) who cost the system rather than contribute. And it is few.

Actually about 51% of the population are net contributors and 49% are net takers. You realise you have to be earning c30k per annum to be a net contributor?

Yes, most of us wherever we're from, once we have children, we become net takers rather than contributers. So whilst, in theory someone may be working full time, paying tax and not be claiming out of work benefits, if they have several children in a state school, give birth on the NHS, claim child benefit, go to the doctors etc they will probably be taking more out than they're putting in.

Can't get worked up about this.

So you were not in need of a council flat at that time? There is a finite number of council flats you know...

I don’t mind where people come from as long as they can speak english. I don’t agree with living and working somewhere and not being about to speak the same language as the country or only speaking your Mother tongue at home so the child starts school and can’t speak English.

My Greek friend married an english man and she only spoke to the child in Greek and then everyone else in English and English tv. The 9 year
Old has always been able to flirt between the two languages it is amazing really.

And I say that about people who emigrate from the UK too I think you should learn the local language.

Other than that I don’t blame anyone anywhere who moves for a better life.

DPs ex arrived here as a single mother with a 12 month old, she was immediately housed in a flat, paid for with housing benefit and given a hardship bonus that was enough to buy a car.

That might very well be the case. I have no idea. It's definitely not my lived experience. That's the issue with mixing all the countries together as simply Eastern European. Some joined earlier ,some later. Some had restrictions, some didn't.

Hell I couldn't even get a bank account because the lady kept insisting it's not possible , until OH (English) made a fuss because he'd talked to the branch manager in advance and was told it could be done and what I needed to bring. When I showed up to the appt I was told it's not possible and sent away.

I won't even get into the ridiculousness that getting a NI number entailed, or the number of work "agencies" that exploited the hoop jumping and the people that were desperate enough.

@TazSyd this story doesn't add up.
Maybe if she was a refugee from former Yugoslavia, maybe.

I'm very keen to know what kind of business you're doing, OP.

this story doesn't add up
Maybe if she was a refugee from former Yugoslavia, maybe

It does add up. I know plenty of immigrants who live in council housing. I suggest if you think otherwise, you live a very sheltered life.
It's probably harder now but 10-15 years ago, it was much easier to get council housing.

@deragod

Nope, she’s Polish. Arrived here in 2008.