Mrs. Marta wants to return from emigration. “One thing is stopping me”
The latest data in this regard from Germany and the Netherlands show that the movement is now more towards Poland and not abroad, as was the case immediately after our country's accession to the EU. There is also a noticeable exodus of our compatriots from Great Britain, which has significantly intensified after Brexit.
There are many reasons for this state of affairs. Dr. Dominika Pszczółkowska talked about this in an interview with us from the Migration Research Center of the University of Warsaw. “The number one condition, however, are economic issues,” she explained.
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Mrs. Marta, who reported to our editorial office, left Poland for Germany right after graduation. — I was 20 years old and many of my friends were leaving at that time. Besides, I come from Lower Silesia, so going to Germany to work was a norm for me since I was a child, he recalls.
She worked physically in agriculture for several years, and later in care. In 2017, she moved to the Netherlands and took a job in the broadly understood administration, where a friend from school recommended her.
— I read your article and it was a bit like I was reading about myself. I also tried to work from morning to evening to earn as much as possible. And I also didn't plan to stay abroad for so long – says.
Our reader emphasizes that she still has “one foot” in Poland. — I read Polish media and follow what is happening in the country. Many friends live there and I try to visit them and my family regularly. I still haven't cut the umbilical cord, I'm up to date – he jokes.
Perhaps because for 2-3 years he has been seriously considering returning to the country permanently. — There are no coconuts here like there used to be. Life is expensive, and safety can also vary, he explains. She also admits that one thing is keeping her here for now.
— Without going into details, I have some health problems and I am undergoing treatment. I have a trusted doctor here and I can't imagine being under the care of anyone else. I believe that when I recover, I will be able to come back. And there is a big chance for this, he announces.
Policy? “It doesn't matter whether Tusk or Kaczyński rules”
She directly admits that the level of the Polish health care system prevents her from returning. — I keep reading that there is no money in Poland, that hospitals are closed, and even if they are not, appointments with specialists are long. In my situation, I can't afford to go back now and then wait two or three years for a doctor, he says. — Well, this whole situation with Russia is also holding me back a bit, but in the second place.
However, it draws attention to one more aspect. — I have different friends. Sometimes I see people on social media trying to relate everything to politics. Some say that Poles are coming back and it is thanks to the government. Others say they will not return as long as Tusk rules in Poland. Even politicians are trying to race who is responsible for these recent comebacks. It amuses me a lot – he admits.
— The truth is that if someone wants to come back, one of the last things they look at is the prime minister or politicians as such. They think that everything revolves around them, but the truth is that emigrants don't care. They come back because it is convenient for them, not because one or the other is in power. This is completely absurd and makes voters look like idiots, says Marta.
“Best decision in years”
Mr. Michał returned to Poland last year. “I had concerns about the war in the back of my mind, but on the other hand I was also fed up with England,” he says. He left for the UK when everyone else was leaving, i.e. shortly after Poland joined the European Union.
He settled near Birmingham, one of the largest cities in Great Britain.
— There was a lot of work, especially at the beginning. I first worked in the catering industry, as a classic dishwasher. Later, mainly as a driver, and every year I felt more and more tired of emigration – he recalls.
He adds that it got worse after Brexit. — After the referendum itself, it wasn't that bad, but over time the earnings were no longer as attractive as at the beginning. I compared it with my friends in Poland and I still earned better, but it was not such a gap. And life became more expensive much faster – says our interlocutor.
He had been considering the decision to return “sometime since Brexit, but it was only a year ago that it happened.”
— It was a great decision. I managed to save a lot and bought a small house with a garden in a small town. I escaped from the noise and the constant rush, he says.
We ask him if he is able to live on his savings. “No, it's not like that,” he laughs. — I still work as a driver. I may make a little less money, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Now I actually feel alive and resting. And I'm really convinced that Poland is a great place to live. Previously, a person was young and stupid and did not appreciate it, he became fascinated with Western life – he concludes.
