700,000 Poles reside in Great Britain – EURACTIV.pl

Up to 700,000 Poles currently living in Great Britain have exercised their right to permanent settlement in the United Kingdom, according to Polish head of diplomacy Zbigniew Rau. He also stated that anyone wishing to work in Great Britain after Brexit would have to obtain a visa to do so beforehand.

Poles constitute the largest national group among immigrants in Great Britain, and Polish is the second most popular language in England and the third most popular in Great Britain (after English and Welsh). Our UK citizens are estimated to number 1.5 million, although the 2018 census showed 905,000 citizens officially living in the UK. People of Polish nationality (according to Eurostat data for the same year, there are 919,261 thousand), of which 832 thousand. Born in Poland.

700,000 Poles do not return from the islands after Brexit, they will need passports

He noted that “Brexit is forcing a change in the status of Poles living in Great Britain.” Zbigniew Raw In an interview Tuesday (15 December) with TVP Polonia. “We already know that (…) more than 700,000 people have benefited from the possibility of permanent settlement in the British Isles, according to local Home Office data. The minister said.

Rao emphasized that the work of Polish institutions in the UK is currently focused on “increasing passports”, because after Great Britain leaves the European Union, they will be needed more than identity cards that Poles can use now.

Entry visas for the displaced will be required

The foreign secretary emphasized that Brexit also changes the rules governing entry of unstable foreigners into the UK. It abolishes the visa regime we are already used to. Zbigniew Rau reassured, however, that the visa-waiver regime will be maintained, but only “for those who will visit the islands for tourist purposes, short business stays and scientific stays, that is, up to six months, while in other cases we will be subject to visa requirements.”

He also stressed that everyone coming from Poland to work in Great Britain must apply for work visas.

A “hard Brexit” most likely?

Both Prime Minister of Great Britain Boris JohnsonRepresentatives of EU institutions with the chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier Recognizing that the most likely scenario for future relations between the EU and the UK remains the lack of an agreement, ie a hard Brexit. However, the guarantees of the rights of citizens of the British Isles member states and the rights of British citizens living in the European Union have already been settled.

On the other hand, additional trade relations issues are still awaiting a decision, although the agreement governing them will enter into force from 1 January 2021. His absence by the end of the year – when the post-Brexit transition period ends – means that as of 1 January, UK-EU trade will be subject to general rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), with tariffs, quantitative quotas and other barriers protecting both markets.

European Commission President: There is still a way to reach an agreement

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen Yesterday (December 16) she admitted in the European Parliament that it is not known whether a trade agreement with Great Britain will be reached later this month, but confirmed that progress has been made in talks on this subject.

I can’t say if there will be a deal or not. But I can say that we are currently on the path to an agreement. The head of the European Commission in the European Parliament explained that the path is narrow, adding that “the coming days will be decisive.” Von der Leyen emphasized that the most important points of contention between Brussels and London remain the same, ie issues related to fisheries and fair competition.

The United Kingdom left the European Union at midnight on January 31 – February 1 this year.