THESE THREE, AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS LIKE THEM, ARE PLANNING TO GO HOME. WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE POLES SAY 'DO WIDZENIA' TO BRITAIN?

摘要

The site of an apartment block on 412 Commercial Road shares a common feature with many London building sites over the past four years - not a word of English can be heard because every one of the 15-strong workforce hails from Poland. However, this by now familiar scene in UK construction could soon be a thing of the past as many of the estimated 350,000 Poles who helped prop up the industry in recent years are starting to pack their bags to go home. Kazimierz Molenda, a 45-year-old painter and decorator working on the site, is just one of the many planning to leave. Having arrived here six years ago, Molenda thinks he has made enough money to set up an upholstery business in his homeland. Family concerns and the recent troubles in the housebuilding sector have accelerated his decision. "My girlfriend is keen to return home so we can marry and start a family. I have made enough money for what I want to do in Poland. Plus, it is not as good here as it once was."