With the pound and the euro more or less the same we are now seeing the Tide turn as Poles end great migration.

A wave of immigration that helped to fuel Ireland's early 21st century boom is over.


Hard statistics on the number of Poles leaving Britain do not exist. There are no embarkation controls on EU members so they are are not counted out. But Polish officials, Irish/British employment agencies and the Polish media all believe that the tide of immigration has turned. Since Poland joined the EU in 2004, 274,065 Poles have signed up for work permits. They make up 66 per cent of all applications from Eastern European countries.

But a combination of tightening economic conditions in this country, a comparatively weak pound and an unprecendented surge in the Polish economy has made it unattractive for Poles to remain.

Half of the estimated one million British-based Poles are expected to return home within the next few months.

This means you will be able to get an appointment with your doctor or dentist a lot quicker and there will be primary school places available. There has been a number of murders within the Polish community living in Ireland, and a large number have been charged with drunk driving, and no road tax or insurance.


The tide of immigration prompted supermarkets to introduce ranges of Polish products as they sought to tap into the substantial spending power of the new arrivals. Polish newspapers and radio stations sprang up. Libraries started stocking Polish books.