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

Op, I voted for Brexit as I am not a fan of the EU, I like immigration, I just want to have a system that says no to people whom want to take from us.

Our government has no easy EU target to blame now for their own shortcomings if they don't get their act together either.

People like you who chose to intergrate into British culture, settle and build a life here are what we need.

It's what has always gone on here in waves over the centuries so I don't buy into some twee image of the past where everything was like an Enid Blyton book.

No doubt in 55 bc some small minded oik watched Julias Caesar step of the boat and moaned about foreigner coming over a nicking our jobs!

I don't care what colour you are or where you are from.

Welcome, and thanks for coming.

I am Russian. Whenever I hear all these conversations about "coming to the UK to take jobs and benefits" I just want to laugh because so far I have paid waaaaay more into the system then I've ever received. Although geographically Russia is partially in Europe - it is not a part of EU, therefore Russians cannot just move to the UK to work or live. In order to work in the UK they need a sponsorship visa which employers are reluctant to provide due to its cost (unless the job is very senior). I personally had to jump through a few hoops to be able to live here lawfully, I even had to pay (and still paying) private medical insurance, as that was on of the conditions to get a residence card.
I have a strong EE accent. No matter what i do - i can't get rid of it, although my English is pretty good (Ive got a Master's degree from one of the UK top uni's). Some people treat me with respect, while others start laughing when they find my accent funny. It used to be quite hurtful, but now I don't care anymore. If someone thinks that it is okay to laugh at someone else's accent, or country or origin, or lack of English - it just proves that these people are simply not worth any attention whatsoever. They are already punished by being ignorant and stupid.
@GimmeAy I am truly sorry for what that person did to you. It is awful, and he should be punished for that. But by saying that you hate all Russians because of it - you simply bring yourself to his level, and I don't think thats what you want. I am sure that deep inside you are capable of being a decent person.

I have numerous colleagues from Eastern Europe. A lot have settled here with families and others are here in HMO's saving and sending all their money home.

One thing I have noticed is, where I work the food outlets always employed college kids, now it's all Eastern European's. It's a shit wage and I don't know how they could possibly have a good life on the wage paid.

Also, a lot of the staff are from Romania and highly educated, our system does not recognise the qualifications they have so they're stuck flipping burgers which is sad. I know a lot are planning on returning home and I'll be sad to see them go

I've no problem with Eastern Europeans living in the UK. The Polish people I've met are hard working and friendly. My dentist is Bulgarian, and he is a great dentist (vital to me and DH, as we're in our 50s and have needed some fairly serious dental work over recent years). I admire immigrants who overcome the language barrier, work hard and assimilate into society, it must be a real battle at times.

That said, the UK is pretty densely populated, so I think immigration needs to be curbed (along with population growth - but that's another subject).

My husband is Polish and has a real chip on his shoulder about how he perceived people saw him when he lived in the UK. I’m not from the UK so was never sure whether it was just his perception (low self-esteem) or whether it was really a thing. I didn’t notice anything in the short time I lived there. Very sad if it is true though, OP. But from the sound of a lot of what’s been posted on this thread there are plenty of people who are welcoming of other cultures. You sound lovely so I’d be happy to catch up if we lived over there!

I have a lot of respect for people who pick themselves (and their family) up to move to another country to build a life there.

Take everything you know about being a grown up and have to relearn it from health care to education to banking to tax.

We did it, moving to another western european country. Even with the cushion of an employer it was hard work and an emotional rollercoaster for the whole family.

Of course people will speak to their family and people from their own country in their own language. To the people who criticise this, have you ever tried speaking a non native language all day? It's exhausting even if you are fluent.

The systems (tax, welfare etc) in a country are generally set up for people who were born there. You progress through the system from cradle to grave. Interrupting that flow always seems to cause problems. We experienced this moving abroad and moving back to the UK.

Sad you feel like this,my wonderful neighbour is a Polish Lady and she is brilliant,x

It may also depend where you live and if you feel you have lost work due to immigration. I don't and I have never had a problem with anyone wherever they are from although there is a (slight) impact of living in one of the most mixed London boroughs simply because you become the "other" in your own land as it were but even that exposes you to lots of different influences which is not a bad thing.

(Most cities including Newcastle and London voted Remain in England as did I - it was other areas that did not. Anyway that's all over now. We don't need to be divided any more.)

first op bigotry is the other virus which predated corona - spread by ignorant little Britain types which became a pandemic with brexit.
Bit of news which sort of amused me - people in Ashford in Kent are cross about the border force area being built near them - they voted over 40000 to over 22000 to leave (sorry for the people who wanted to remain though) -
People are people - people come to this country to work & we need them - sure there are some bad apples & some people who do silly things but its the same which the so-called local "ethnically" British. Although if you exam that term it is totally inaccurate in reality!
I reckon attitudes to Eastern Europeans is a media orchestrated thing supported by populists & people who like to blame somebody
for all their problems -

Defenbaker
That said, the UK is pretty densely populated, so I think immigration needs to be curbed (along with population growth - but that's another subject).
Fly out of London north or east and there are huge swathes of countryside that could be effectively developed into entire towns with all the essential infrastructure that provides support and employment. We need to get away from subsidising farmers to leave fields fallow and invest in sensitive developments. England's resources are only stretched to breaking point in the over-populated cities where housing is expensive. If we have learnt anything from this pandemic it's that we need to manufacture more so we are less reliant on imports. Affordable housing in London is an oxymoron but supply it in a self-supporting new town with a bullish jobs' market and there's enough space in the UK for anyone who is a radiator and not a sponge.

My DM comes from Boston - Their demographics have changed dramatically, and crucially IMO, there was never any real agreement for it. I do partially think there is no real understanding from many EE's that many of their small towns back home would be total unwilling to accept the population swift Boston has seen. Imagine if sudden your child couldn't get a school place because the class had 10 British children in it?

I think this country would be unwise not to acknowledge that Brexit really was a direct reply to the mass EE immigration post 2007. There will never be any acceptance of the huge changes this country has had to undergo in places outside London if we just refuse to see it.

huge swathes of countryside that could be effectively developed into entire towns with all the essential infrastructure that provides support and employment. We need to get away from subsidising farmers to leave fields fallow and invest in sensitive developments

On the contrary we must value agricultural land much more highly and protect it. Once it is gone it is gone and then how to we feed ourselves? Do we import it all?

Welcome
I am not judgmental, i am interested

i also have respect, you did a brave thing moving, speaking in a new language.

so many of our doctors and dentists have come from abroad. Good for them, double hard communicating when it isnt their first language. They have worked hard and face unfair discrimination.

so many of our doctors and dentists have come from abroad yes, lots come from India and Africa but we don’t have freedom of movement with these continents.

On the contrary we must value agricultural land much more highly and protect it. Once it is gone it is gone and then how to we feed ourselves? Do we import it all?
We must agree to differ on this as I don't see why so many fields are left unused year after year (and not part of a crop rotation scheme) when people on low wages need affordable housing.

The problem is most immigrants want to live in the places with jobs near London etc. However as they integrate over the decades they do tend to move eg lots started at the docks in the East end of London and indeed Liverpool or jews in the East End, Stamford Hill etc and then move. Soho - China town etc.

The current Tory Government is pretty pro immigration actually and high spending which is one reason it was voted - middle ground parties often are voted in in the UK but we shall see what happens with what sort of UK we want - more people, fewer people, environmental issues which tend to favour fewer people, fewer babies and more home grown crops or not and how the pandemic will affect people's plans and movement across the globe.

Interesting thing I was told by one Polish guy about the EE shops that most of the shops are not owned by the EEs. Just like many Post Offices and chemists.

I'm glad as a grandfather of mine came from Eastern Europe.

Agree that the current government is fairly pro-immigration (from outside the EU at least), led by a man born in the US and the great-grandson of a Turk.

To say that the falling birth rates in Eastern Europe has nothing to do with immigration is wrong when these countries themselves are saying it has had an impact.
The Romanian academy says it has had a direct impact on population growth.
Latvia gives immigration and low government support as main causes.

Using Romania as an example over 1 million people have left for the west. Most of them will be of the younger generation. That is an awful lot of people when you have a total population of 19 million.

Let's have a look on the map. East. Where is Romania? Oh, here close to Greece...
This whole thread proves that Eastern Europe is a concept, rather unpleasant, to politely say poor barbarians without being openly xenophobic.

No, I don't say that every one who use the term is xenophobic although that's the reason why it is so popular.

I use România as and example as I have direct experience of Romania and Romania’s who think and refer to themselves as Eastern European.
Maybe they aline themselves with Eastern Europe due to historical and cultural history. It is not for me to pull out a map and tell them they have to refer to themselves as Central Europeans.

Whoops posted to soon
Should add that the United Nations define Romania as being in Eastern Europe but it seems several different organisations split the region in different ways so I default of there being one definination I will go with what my friends and family define themselves as.

I thought Eastern Europe is commonly (whether correctly or not) seen as the previously communist countries.