"Island of Hope" : Polish Immigrants in Ireland

Magdalena Klimczak

Vol.96, No.381, March 2007

Unemployment in Poland is running at 16%, and the political situation is not stable. 70% of Polish immigrants said the motivation for their move was financial, and 26% cited unemployment. Some indeed do want to return, having gained experience of work and of another culture. But for most of those interviewed by the author, Ireland is the “Island Of Hope” where they plan to make a new life, a life richer in inter-cultural exposure and in general ‘life experiences’. Individuals talked in terms of “an escape from poverty, family problems, a political situation in our country, sort of boredom we are experiencing in Poland”…a “sort of escape from Poland. This is the crucial motive. We are unsure of the political situation in Poland…We believe that we can achieve a better life in Ireland”.

To take the situation of those immigrants in Cork:- They have two weekend Polish Masses at the Dominican Church – after which there is a cup of tea and an opportunity to share experiences in their own language, to receive emotional support, to exchange information. A “Polish Centre” has evolved out of this.

The most immediate barrier to integration is language. “We are afraid of speaking English because our English skills are limited and we are ashamed of that. The Irish accent is very hard to understand”. Another immediate barrier is exploitation. “We are appreciated as good workers in Ireland but Irish employers want to pay less than to Irish workers for doing the same work”. And working conditions are often sub-standard.

It would be wrong to expect the immigrants to so assimilate that they would lose all trace of their own culture, traditions, customs, values. The goal, rather, should be a genuine integration characterised by mutual respect between two living cultures. Irish society can easily forget the immigrants’ positive contribution of experience, skills, talents, abilities. Above all, they are to be appreciated as human beings – bringing with them a pool of cultural and personal wealth that Irish society would be well advised to tap into : they are not just economic units, cogs in the wheels of the Celtic Tiger machine. There should be an end to stigmatising individuals as foreigners. The overall impact of the Polish presence could be greater, if they were more actively included and invited to participate in all levels of Irish life.