A decision to move, anywhere, is often difficult. Moving to another city, moving house, moving because of better jobs, or simply moving to seek advancement of life opportunities can be exciting and challenging at the same time. There are those, who can and those, due to war and procession, who must flee to safety.

My story, and the story of many Eastern European migrants, who came to Britain after the enlargement of the European Union is no different. We also came for a lot of different reasons. By 2016, the famous “Brexit year”, around 1 million Poles lived and worked in the United Kingdom. Although the migration of Poles to the UK has a long history, due to communism, martial law, and a difficult set of political circumstances between the years 1945 – 1989, such a high number of migrants made a huge impact on Britain, but also on Poland.

In recent months, there have been many reports in a number of media outlets about the exodus of Poles from Britain. It is true; according to the Office for National Statistics, around 25,000 Poles left the UK and returned to Poland.

Over the years, and in particular since Britain voted to leave the EU, the story of Eastern European migrants has not been portrayed in a positive light. It felt at times that we are a problem, not a solution to some of the challenges that the UK economy has been facing for more than a decade now.

So why are so many of my countrymen and women decided to leave these shores and start the process of reintegration and se-settlement back home? The answer is never easy and it has a lot of caveats, however in my opinion there are 3-4 main reasons.

According to the World Bank, in 2005, Poland’s GDP was approximately $306-$310 billion. 20-22 years later, it is likely to reach $1 trillion. The Polish economy grew three times in the last 2 decades. That’s a phenomenal result. Poland was the only European country that avoided recession during the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Secondly, and without a doubt, accession to the European Union meant a rapid and steady growth, which was supported by various investments in a number of key regional and national infrastructure projects. Whilst Britain’s economy has stagnated for years now, Poland continues to grow between 3-4% each year. In Britain, we have experienced much higher living costs, less competitive labour market, as well as more strict visa and immigration rules, which also apply to EU nationals. In my opinion, ending of the free movement has proved to be a “political suicide”, which meant to help and reduce the number of migrants arriving to the UK, however the net migration went significantly up.

Of course, not everything is perfect back home. The process of re-adjustment takes time, and it is always much harder to make such a big decision. However, it is true that every single time I travel back to Poland, I do think that my friends and family have a better quality of life. Yes, some would argue that the grass is always greener on the other side, however my perceptions are backed up by clear and tangible evidence. It is very likely that Poland will be joining, for the first time and as an observer, the G20 summit, in recognition of its positive transformation.

Finally, let’s not forget other family and social factors; the most recent COVID pandemic and our eagerness to be closer to our parents or e.g. retirement age, which enables many to retire in their homeland. The story of migration is always complex. In spite of significant historical challenges, I am so happy to see Poland’s growth and stability, but I am also proud that many Poles in the UK continue to make a cultural and economic contribution to the UK economy and society. It feels good to have “two homes”!

* Michal Siewniak is a Lib Dem activist and councillor for Handside ward, Welwyn Hatfield.