Come home - your country needs you, Polish president tells his people

Key quote

"We are treating this [exodus] as an interim arrangement. If Poland continues to develop at its present rate, and it is always difficult to forecast the future in economics, then the process of Poles going to work abroad will, I think, fade out." - LECH KACZYNSKI

Story in full POLAND'S president appealed yesterday to the thousands of his people who have settled in Scotland to return home to help revive the country's economy.

Lech Kaczynski said there was now a lack of skilled professionals in Poland, partly because of the exodus to the United Kingdom, and he hoped those who had come to Scotland, and the rest of the UK, in search of well-paid jobs would think about returning.

At least 20,000 Poles are known to have come to Scotland to work in the past two years; however, the number of those who are here but have not registered could be as high as 100,000.

They have helped boost the Scottish economy, reverse Scotland's falling population and taken many low-skilled jobs which employers were having trouble filling.

But the huge exodus from Poland has worried politicians there, and yesterday Mr Kaczynski said he believed the massive influx to Scotland would tail off soon and that the trend would be reversed when Poland's economy came up to the European level.

Speaking after a meeting with Jack McConnell, the First Minister, Mr Kaczynski said: "I can only hope that they will eventually go back to Poland, as Poland will be in increasing need of skilled professionals."

He said unemployment in his country had fallen from 17.6 per cent to 14.9 per cent in a year, partly because of emigration.

Mr Kaczynski added that, despite Poland still having a high unemployment rate, employers were having difficulties finding skilled workers in specific professions, again partly because of migration to the UK.

The president said the exodus was helping to force up wages in Poland, not only because the skilled professionals left at home could charge more for their work, but also because Poles abroad were earning more and that money was feeding into the Polish economy.

"As a former member of the Solidarity trade union, I can only applaud this phenomenon," he said.

But he added: "We are treating this [exodus] as an interim arrangement. If Poland continues to develop at its present rate, and it is always difficult to forecast the future in economics, then the process of Poles going to work abroad will, I think, fade out.

"We have many Poles working in the UK and Scotland today, but I don't think this will last long."

Mr Kaczynski also paid tribute to the long-term links between Scotland and Poland, stretching back to Scots immigrants in the Eastern European country during the 17th century as well as Scottish-based Polish soldiers who fought with the Allies in the Second World War.

The president made his comments against a backdrop of jeers from about 30 Polish protesters outside Edinburgh's Point Hotel.

Lucas Buchnied, 26, from Lublin, who is in Scotland to work, said he and his compatriots were angry at Mr Kaczynski's attempts to shut down the free media in Poland, at his decision to blur the lines between Church and state and at the right-wing drift of the country.

"We just want to say that he doesn't represent us," Mr Buchnied said.

He went on: "We are all Polish, mostly studying or working here, and got together through the internet and telephone conversations. We don't like what this president is doing in our country."

Mr McConnell said Poles were welcome in Scotland. "Whether they are here to study or work, they make a real contribution to the strength of our economy, our society and culture," he said.

"We want to help them broaden their experience and skills so that when they return to Poland they can help it to grow as they helped Scotland to grow.

"My discussions with President Kaczynski have given me renewed confidence that we are nations of shared history and will renew our shared future."

Hidden army

NO-ONE really knows how many Poles have arrived in Scotland to work.

Official figures show that 32,000 new migrants from Eastern Europe have settled in Scotland since the UK opened its borders nearly two years ago, about 20,000 of these from Poland.

But these statistics only include those who register for work and do not include the army of self-employed trades people and unskilled workers who have come to Scotland.

The Scottish Executive believes there are about 40,000 Poles now living in Scotland while the Polish Council believes there are about 50,000.

The true figure could be as high as 100,000.