UK, Ireland / Polish Migration to the UK - A moderate speaks! [41]

Hello,

I'm British. I live in Bognor Regis. A town that has become very popular with Eastern Europeans. Especially Poles.
When I first moved the town a few years ago people were very critical of the EU migrants that were coming to the town.
My response would always be along the lines of, "yes but they're here to work, often doing jobs British people don't want and lots of Brits go and retire to Spain etc so we can't have it both ways."

However the popularity of this town with migrants has had a detrimental effect after several years.
Many migrants are living in cramped accommodation and as a result they have little personal space so prefer to be outside in town, in groups often drinking cheap lager and not causing trouble as such but just presenting quite a depressing and intimidating presence all around the town of an evening. Including very drunk men who got in the habit of sitting on my neighbour's wall and leaving cans in her garden, which I managed to rationally and calmly discourage!

Also many of our shops have closed, speaking to shop owners the demographic has changed to one that prefer cheaper shops, pound shops etc and the Polish shops that have opened in town. The economy has a big part in this but the high street now has a litany of cheap shops and several Polish shops and many empty shops.

Students are suffering also, because housing they rented is becoming very scarce due to the mass influx of migrants seeking cheap rent.

With such a large Polish population it has become much easier to live and work in Bognor without speaking any English at all. It's so sad to be in a shop and the cashier says, "hello" to be greeted by complete silence because the person buying the goods doesn't understand or lacks confidence to respond in kind.

I feel like a guest in my own town and it's not uncommon to not hear an English voice on my street all day.

With the mini depression, the gangs of people drinking away their evening on benches Bognor feels more run down than it should! It's been an archaic and out moded seaside town for many years but this is exacerbated by the thousands of migrants in the town. There seems, correct me if I'm wrong to be a real reluctance to integrate with the British community at all.

So why am I writing? Well because there is a lot of inarticulate bile filled nonsense on these forums, I wanted to put forward an opinion from someone who considers themselves a liberal, but who is finding it increasingly hard to hold that viewpoint in a town that has to some extent been ruined by the vast number of migrants crowded into the town.

Also, because I'd be interested to hear from Poles in Bognor, do the British seem cold or hostile? Perhaps we each believe the other doesn't wish to mix! Maybe there is scope to improve on this.

Or do you live in another town with a similar situation where integration has worked better and the local council have managed things better with some innovative initiatives?

Mainly to put down in words some feelings I am uncomfortable with! I can't believe I find myself agreeing with David Cameron on capping immigration and the failure of multiculturalism! Anyway.... thats my piece. Peace!

IL