Poles becoming British subjects

Gazeta Wyborcza on Saturday reported that a growing number of Polish migrants were striving for British citizenship. Over the past 2 decades several hundred Poles a year became British subjects, but in 2010 that number trebled to 1,419 and in 2011 climbed to 1,863. Some fear the EU may collapse because of the crisis or that the UK will again limit working rights for foreigners, GW said.

Do you envy them?

This is not surprising especially for those who have found stable work and started a family there.

Britain is also more attractive since they have a higher exchange rate in their favor and knowing some or a lot of English is also a pull factor; not just for Poles but many people from around the world.

The UK has long had its own disparity with the South being the most densely populated and economically prosperous. Even Northerners, Scots and Welsh have long been abandoning their own regions for London and the Home Counties.

Quite sensible. A UK passport opens up some doors that a Polish passport won't - while the Polish passport gives benefits such as cheaper visas for Russia/Belarus.


Yet - real Poles chose to do so. Could it be that they're more well informed than you are?

Same here. Its easier to get visas to Australia/Canada and the US with an Irish/British passport. Hence reason.

Its a joke. Citizenship should only be awarded to foreigners who have made an outstanding positive contribution to the nation. A couple of dozen a year, at most.

Work in a coffee shop for a few years, pay minimal tax, stick to your own compatriots and become new British/Irish.

Madness, really.

I know of a much swifter and more successful career. However they are in Vegas now... so can't even try to lure them to here. Oh, and one of them is not even from PL but from Ukr.

it's not subject,it's citizen, old man.

The Iraqi family that were smoked in France are being described as British by the press. The brits are on a path of self made ethnocide.

It would also give them the right to vote in a general election which would give Labour (always in favour of mass / uncontrolled immigration) more votes.

I don't see this as positive news at all.

I wouldn't be so sure. Poles politically are far more likely to vote for the Tories in terms of social views.

Don't forget that the Tories were secretly loving the accession of Poland to the EU - lots of cheap labour, after all.

Maybe, but my job (debt recovery) tends to mean that I deal with those at the bottom of the social heap, so my views are probably a bit skewed as a result.

happy in your work are you? do you find it rewarding at all?

When I can help someone, yes I do find it rewarding. Sadly, some don't want the help and don't like to face reality.

Help usually means more debt doesn't it?

yes, fair point.

No, not in the department I work in any way. By the time they get to me, they've already done all that.

As Britain is a monarchy, all the citizens are royal subjects at the same time - or am I wrong?

i think that was correct at one time but I am quite sure it says citizen in my passport......might even check when i can find the bloody thing.

oh I googled it and apparently it's complicated and we are both......ufff.

Well, don't know where you're from, but speaking personally - the areas I grew up in, worked in, etc (London & SE/E Anglia/Wessex)

---- they have pretty much gone down the drain in most respects except property prices which rose out of all proportion to common sense/local wages. Where I currently live when in the UK - was quite upmarket - now it is suffering in the same way. Sh*thole - many towns and cities can be defined thus, yes. But OK - the better parts of Surrey, better parts of Sussex, some parts of Dorset, some other fortunate spots - still not too bad.

There are other reasons why they would want to do this and will probably mean my partner will also tryand get a British citizenship. Firstly as has been pointed out above the passport is quite handy especially for holidays in American. Secondly as she has worked and paid taxes in the UK it would also mean that the "stamps" she has recieved would then be counted towards any state pension rights that she might have in the future. Well that is if thre is a state pension when we retire.

Anyone who has been working for a number of years and intends to continue working in the UK and doesn't do this is crazy in my view. Through their NI payments they are paying for the benefits which unless they become a citizen they can not take advantage off..The problem is most people who came over are still young and do not think about it when in fact they are probably throwing away free pensions when they retire. Yes I know there is a cost associated but I would say the benefits out way the costs

Pensions in the UK are regardless of nationality, just like in Poland.


It doesn't work like that. If you've accured pension rights in the UK, you're entitled to it regardless of your citizenship. The same goes for benefits - the UK system works on residency, not on citizenship.

And how would you define that contribution? How would you measure "outstanding"? Vs. what?
Aren't there set of criteria that one has to meet anyway?

what nonsense is that\?

I thought The Brits and Irish don't need a visa for a short term stay (90 days) in the US? I know the Germans don't. BTW It's really sad that Poles still need one, being a faithful US ally.

It's called ESTA - you need it even if part of the US visa waiver
esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/WebHelp/ESTA_Screen-Level_Online_Help_1.htm#ta2

This is not out of loyalty for this nation.
A British passport is a valuable tool to visit other countries easily.

Like every aspsect of this country, they just use us as a cash cow for their own parasitic needs.

As long as there is Polski Sklep and POLSAT, they'll always be comfortable sponging of British tax money.

Why do you that is the case? I never felt the need to get a UK passport.

As a Belgian citizen you probably wouldn't get any benefit from one unless you wanted to go to certain former British colonies and even then the passport thing only applies to a feW of them. Most countries have a list of nationalities who can get a visa on arrival, who dont need a visa or who are entitled to certain advantageous categories of visa. Citizens of the UK (and Belgium) usually do quite well out of this. So do Polish citizens (in comparison with, say, Nigerians) however the list doesn't always include Poland.

I have to travel quite a lot for work and it is quite convenient in some countries to sail through passport control while Russians, Americans, Chinese, Indians etc are queuing twenty-deep at chaotic visa booths with handfuls of photographs and forms and never the right amount of local currency.

good thing friends

Visa Restriction Index 2012

Number of countries that can be entered without a visa by a citizen of