Abstract

Honorary Guests: Jonathan Knott, Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Warsaw Arkady Rzegocki, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in London

After the result of the June referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, the future of free movement between the UK and the rest of Europe has been thrown into doubt. Millions of EU nationals – including almost a million Poles – living and working in the UK face a period of great uncertainty, with “Brexit” negotiations perhaps set to commence in 2017. At the same time, anti-migrant sentiment has been on the rise in Britain, with a significant spike in hate crimes after the referendum, especially against Poles.

In this difficult climate, Cambridge Polish Studies hosts a panel discussion on the future of the thriving Polish community in the UK. The discussion will focus on the possible impact of “Brexit” negotiations on Poles residing in Britain and the challenges facing Poles across the country, while also highlighting the great successes and achievements of British Poles. As well as being a serious discussion of pressing issues for the Polish community, the event will also be a celebration of Polish life in Britain.

We warmly encourage audience participation in the discussion.