Poland’s ambassador to the United Kingdom has urged the hundreds of thousands of Poles living in Britain to “seriously consider” leaving the country after Brexit.
In an open letter to Poles in the UK, Arkady Regocki warned that many of his compatriots had not yet applied for settled status, which grants EU nationals permanent residence. Regocki revealed that an “alarmingly low” number of the more than 800,000 Poles living and working in the UK have so far applied to stay in the country after it leaves the European Union.
“To date, around 27% of Poles living in the British Isles have applied for settled status,” he wrote. “This is an alarmingly low level, meaning that thousands of Polish citizens may be exposed to complications.”
“With the dynamically developing situation regarding United Kingdom’s exit from the EU … I would like to draw your attention to the need to submit such an application if you want to stay in the UK after Brexit,” he wrote.
In his open letter, Regocki, Warsaw’s representative in London since 2016 added: “I also encourage you to seriously consider the possibility of returning to Poland and to familiarize yourself with the information available … on social benefits in Poland, finding employment and finding places in schools for children.”
“The rapidly growing economy of our country creates more and more opportunities for citizens for development and having good living conditions in the country,” he wrote.
The ambassador said he “regrets” the UK’s departure from the EU, which is currently scheduled for October 31, but regarded it as an “opportunity to strengthen the bond between our two countries.”
About 832,000 people born in Poland were living in the UK in 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics.