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How the 'Plumber' Became a Problem: the United Kingdom, Polish Immigrants, and the European Union, 1945–2014

Pawlowicz, Rachel C
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1573488178083371

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, History.
This thesis examines the critical role that the Polish immigrant community has played in recent British history. A large influx of Polish migrants settled in the UK in the years immediately following World War II. The British government pressured the Poles to repatriate or settle elsewhere, due in part to the post-war scarcity environment. By the early 1960s, against the backdrop of Commonwealth immigration—many of whom were non-white—the Polish immigrant community was extolled for their ability to adapt and assimilate with comparative ease. When a second wave of Polish immigration began in 2004, it was as a result of Poland’s accession to the EU. The UK did not limit Polish immigration between 2004 and 2011; it was one of three member states that did not. By the end of 2011—when the other member states lifted their restrictions—Polish was the second most commonly spoken language in Britain, behind English and ahead of Welsh. As a result, the Polish community became a focal point for Eurosceptics, who argued that the UK’s inability to limit the number of Poles seeking employment in the island nation threatened not only low-paid, unskilled British labor but also the integrity of British society. This was not a new concern; throughout its history with the EU and the European Communities, the UK objected strongly to the possibility of relinquishing sovereignty over key policy issues, and, especially after 2004, control over immigration proved to be a particularly delicate issue. The only way the UK would be able to limit immigration by EU citizens would be to seek an exemption to the free movement of workers or by leaving the EU, which led to the Referendum on membership put forth by Prime Minister David Cameron. When British citizens went to the polls in 2016 to decide whether or not to remain a member state, the Polish immigrant community was a conspicuous reminder of how Britain’s destiny was no longer decided in London.
Douglas Forsyth, Ph.D (Advisor)
Neal Jesse, Ph.D (Committee Member)
114 p.
History
Immigration; Polish immigration; British history; Brexit; European Union; Commonwealth immigration; asylum seekers; Polish Plumber; European Communities; World War II; British Referendum; David Cameron

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Pawlowicz, R. C. (2019). How the 'Plumber' Became a Problem: the United Kingdom, Polish Immigrants, and the European Union, 1945–2014 [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1573488178083371

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pawlowicz, Rachel. How the 'Plumber' Became a Problem: the United Kingdom, Polish Immigrants, and the European Union, 1945–2014. 2019. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1573488178083371.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pawlowicz, Rachel. "How the 'Plumber' Became a Problem: the United Kingdom, Polish Immigrants, and the European Union, 1945–2014." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1573488178083371

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.