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Polish ambassador meets Margo



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INDEPENDENT Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald was today meeting the Polish ambassador to Britain to discuss her idea of a welcome centre to help migrants from eastern Europe arriving in Scotland.
The meeting with Barbara Tuge-Erecinska comes as a new study revealed many migrants want to settle here permanently.

The survey of more than 1000 migrants found that while the majority are single young men, an increasing number of families are now moving to Scotland to work.

Most planned to stay in Scotland for at least two years, even though about one in four had experienced verbal abuse.

It revealed that most had only basic English language skills but were unable to take lessons because of work commitments.

Earlier this year Ms MacDonald called for a welcome centre at Edinburgh airport to help match migrants' skills with available jobs and provide information about English language courses.

Ms MacDonald said: "I want to discuss with the ambassador the suggestions I have already made."





The full article contains 166 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 07 March 2008 10:09 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Margo MacDonald
 
1

Nikostratos,

07/03/2008 12:10:35
poor old ambassador
2

,

07/03/2008 14:18:43
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
3

,

07/03/2008 14:52:11
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
4

FrancesP,

07/03/2008 15:16:06
#4. Polish people have the absolute right to be here because they're EU citizens - simple as that. Of course, it's always highly desirable to learn the local language, but I don't see why anyone should have to jump through extra hoops just to suit you.
5

James (1),

07/03/2008 15:48:10
I was in the A&E at Edinburgh Royal and there was a poster on the wall (best place for them I find) which was in a foreign language.(I am guessing Polish) There was no similar poster nearby nor did this one have any English writing on it and I have absolutely no idea from the images what was being "sold".
What is so unique and so secretive that the poster could not have English?
For all I know it could have said " We will make these English speaking countries speak and read our language. Just give us time" but I will never know for sure.
6

Alxsdr,

Glasgow 08/03/2008 00:52:36
Brilliant idea from Margo, a woman of great integrity and a great internationalist. Helping immigrants benefits the whole of society as it improves integration. I would love to see that kind of welcome centre at airports. Perhaps the small-minded bigots posting above - hopefully their rants will be removed soon - should try reading some history. They would learn that we're all immigrants in the British Isles if you go back far enough, that there has never been a "pure" culture in Scotland, that being Scottish is about attitude and generosity and extending a welcome among other things, and that Scots have spread all across the world. Let's move forward with those brilliant values in mind and place the racists in the dustbin of history.
7

britsout,

camelon 08/03/2008 02:19:04
good for margo , even though weve become estranged of late, this is why internationalism has always been the watchword for the s n p . personality differences aside . margo stands where most nationalists stand, for inclusion and against the sort of bigotry displayed in posts above
8

britsout,

camelon 08/03/2008 02:21:45
#7 no THEY HAVE A RIGHT to be here
9

FrancesP,

08/03/2008 15:08:26
#7. "They have a right to be here so long as they can fit into the society here without it costing us extra money." Perhaps you can point me to the relevant place in the EU treaties where that condition is established. They have no general right to claim benefits (not are they granted that in the UK) but the right to live and work in another country is automatic for EU citizens.

"You won't have all this given to you in Poland or any other EU country" What, the right of UK citizens to live and work in other EU countries? Er, that's exactly what you will be given!
10

Fairfax,

08/03/2008 15:58:24
FrancesP (11): "but the right to live and work in another country is automatic for EU citizens."

You're correct that the EU supports the right of any EU citizen to live in any part of the EU, but you're not correct that there is an automatic right to work. In fact, EU rules provided the right to limit new EU citizens' right to work for 7 years after accession in 2004, in order to protect jobs. Only the UK, Eire and Sweden allowed the new EU citizens the right to work from 2004.

Recall that, notoriously, the UK initially estimated merely 13000 Poles would wish to work in Britain. Instead we have some 1 million Poles (approximately) and 13000 Polish children born in Britain last year; see

http://www.polishforums.com/polish_births_year_uk-31_16835_0.html
11

James (1),

08/03/2008 17:02:45
Total waste of money. Your are telling me that when a Polish person decides to come here that they have no idea about employment and NEED to be given advice at the point of entry to the country?
I said before and it is a fact, the Cowgate Centre is full of Polish homeless unemployed.
Why remove a true observational comment?
That was a piece of bad news so it got a taken off.

How about Poland stopping these people coming here if not prepared! Oh thats right they are dumping their unemployed on us!
12

James (1),

08/03/2008 17:25:42
Oh and here is another piece of unpalatable news
"A whopping £26million in child benefit is sent home by Polish fathers working here on building sites or as plumbers."
So we are doling out 26 million and dear Margo wants us to welcome them with open arms. Given the amount of money the get from us there is a real chance any welcome party would get knocked over in the rush by them entering the country.
13

FrancesP,

08/03/2008 18:08:48
#11. OK, that's a fair enough point, but 2011 isn't far away, and from that point on - unless anyone can correct me again - the position will be as I stated across the EU (apart from Bulgaria and Romania, who'll presumably have to wait a bit longer).
14

FrancesP,

08/03/2008 18:09:34
Sorry, I was responding to #12.
15

James (1),

09/03/2008 00:54:15
Turkey is knocking at the door of the EU wanting to join and their population is 73 million. Given the benefits we provide and send to foreign countries they would be mad not to come here to work.
Poland has a population of 38 million so given the huge numbers of Polish people who are here then the likelyhood is that unless something is done about allowing "free" travel between countries we are going to be swamped.

 

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