Eastern Europeans swell UK immigration numbers
May 21 2009 by Liam Clifford
Poles benefit from budget flights
Some 8,350 Eastern Europeans are arriving in the UK every day, according to new figures, with many finding work and on the move to the UK permanently.
Despite the reports that many of the Eastern Europeans who moved to the UK during the recent boom years are returning to their homelands, these recent figures show that more than ever are arriving in the UK.
The government says that many of the millions arriving each year are simply visiting family and friends who are living in the UK and will return. However, there are no official figures to show how many return after their visit.
Visitors from Poland are especially common, taking advantage of budget airline flights to try to find work in the UK before settling here permanently.
The British tourism organisation, VisitBritian, welcomes the figures claiming that visitors from Eastern Europe contribute significantly to the economy, with Polish tourists alone spending £470 million last year. VisitBritain now has a specific section of its website to attract Polish tourists to visit the UK for tourism purposes or to visit loved ones who have moved here.
In January 2009, Romanians and Bulgarians were given free access to visit the UK and a limit of 20,000 UK visas will be granted to immigrants from these countries this year. These restrictions may be lifted in 2010, allowing more freedom of movement for people from these new EU member countries.
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