ZJEDNOCZENIE POLSKIE W WIELKIEJ BRYTANII.
FEDERATION OF POLES IN GREAT BRITAIN C.1.0.
240 King Street, London W6
E-mail: office@zpwb.org.uk
Tel: 0208 741 1606
Web: www.zpwb.org.uk WB LCIO
17 Dec 2019
The Rt Hon Boris Johnson, P,
The Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SWIA 2AA
Dear Prime Minister
The Federation of Poles in GB wishes you success following your electoral victory last week. This result removes any uncertainty over whether the UK will be leaving the European Union under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement which you negotiated. That uncertainty over the terms of a future Brexit was understandably a matter of great concern to our Polish community and to other EU citizens in this country.
In view of your declared aspiration to unite and heal British society, the Federation of Poles in Great Britain CIO, a charitable organization which has been representing the voice of Polish organisations in this country since 1947, would be grateful if you were to reiterate your expressions of respect and admiration for EU citizens, such as those made during your period as Mayor of London. You expressed similar views in the parliamentary debate on EU citizens that immediately followed the referendum. We are particularly mindful that on July 6h 2016 in a parliamentary motion on committing the Government to giving EU nationals currently living in the UK the right to remain" you made the following intervention in the House of Commons: "I would like to put on record what I think has been said already - that countless times the Vote Leave campaign gave exactly this reassurance to everybody from EU countries living and working here, and it is very, very disappointing that that should be called into question. I think it is absolutely right to issue the strongest possible reassurance to EU nationals in this country, not just for moral or humanitarian reasons, but for very, very sound economic reasons as well. They are welcome, they are necessary, they are a vital part of our society, and I will passionately support this motion tonight."
These remarks appear to be in contrast to your comments on Sky News' Sophy Ridge programme on December 8th this year which have given us some cause for concern. You are recorded as stating that EU citizens were causing a "problem" by not being “democratically accountable" because they "were able to treat the UK basically as though it's part of their own country". Under the terms of the EU treaty, EU citizens who pay taxes in the UK are indeed entitled to treat this country as home, as are their children born here. The 1.2 million UK citizens living, working and drawing pensions in other EU countries also have such rights.
This turn of phrase in the midst of the electoral debate has, we feel, contributed to the negative atmosphere of administrative discrimination and verbal abuse which is experienced day by day by EU citizens, particularly those from Central and Eastern Europe. Such discrimination remains pronounced especially in areas, outside metropolitan centres, where complaints about abuse or discrimination can often be met with suggestions that the complainant should move back to their country of origin.
The tone of these remarks will no doubt have been influenced by the emotional volatility of a difficult election. Now that the stress of the election is over, as the Prime Minister seeking to reconcile the nation and reduce tension, a clear declaration on your part confirming that EU citizens currently here have contributed to the economy and to the social and cultural fabric of the United Kingdom would be most welcome. The latest wave of Poles continues the tradition of a strong work ethic and importance of family as shown by the previous post-war emigres, many of whom fought alongside the British Armed Forces.
While the ground rules for obtaining settled status through the Home Office are now clear there is still concern over the restriction to applications only online when not all EU citizens have the ability to do this. There is a fear that by December 2020 there may still be a cohort of eligible EU applicants who will have failed to apply because of their limited technology and lack of access to appropriate advice centres e.g. in rural communities. It would be very helpful for EU citizens receiving settled status to obtain confirmation of this (or of pre-settled status) in a printed copy. Virtual images summoned up on rapidly changing and not always reliable equipment do not meet all needs. Whether applying for employment or accommodation, for a bank loan, access to medical treatment, for provision of social care, or entry at a UK border, an EU citizen already residing here should be able to demonstrate their entitlement by presenting a simple printed document. This will become even more important several years after Brexit to distinguish between those EU citizens eligible for such services and those who under new immigration legislation may not be eligible.
The Federation trusts that the comments above will be recognised as being constructive. Perhaps a good way to assist your government in the understanding of these issues could be by a meeting between representatives of the Polish community, advice workers and your government. This would allow issues raised by Brexit for our 850,000 strong community to be presented in a more direct manner; good communication is a key to progress.
Yours sincerely,
Włodzimierz Mier-Jędrzejowicz, Ph.D.
Acting Chairman
Federation of Poles in Great Britain
Rok założenia 1947 (established) Charity Registration Number 1161316
