Britain's new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has told eastern European countries that the British people have sent what she called 'a very clear message' on the EU's freedom of movement rules. During a tour of six European capitals, Theresa May has said the Brexit vote meant the British people wanted to reduce migration. The issue will be at the heart of all Brexit negotiations in the years to come and is a cause for uncertainty for East Europeans now living in the UK.
This is Britain’s most Eurosceptic town. Boston on England’s East coast, where more than 75% of residents voted to quit the European Union. Many overwhelmed by an influx of Eastern Europeans as numbers put pressure on housing, health service and schools.
In two schools there’s one child who speaks English, as a first language and we have some classes, no English speaking.
I expect to be able to speak English in my own country, not have to learn Polish or Latvian to work in the local factories.
The Freedom of Movement rules, which have seen Boston dubbed Little Poland, will be critical to talks aimed at forging a new relationship with Europe. As Theresa May laid the foundations for those talks with a European tour, she was sensitive to the alarm a divisive Brexit has caused among the UK’s estimated 800,000 Poles.
"I want to be clear the Poles living in the UK continue to be welcome and we value the contribution they make to our country. We condemn the shameful and despicable attacks against Polish communities and others in the wake of the referendum result," May said.
Despite those assurances, some still have worries over Britain’s uncertain future with Europe.
We want to know when and what’s going to happen basically, yeah. So everyone is kind of anxious.
That will probably shut the gates for Eastern Europeans, so of course it is a worry.
Reduced access to Eastern European Labor could also have a wider post Brexit impact on Britain’s economy. In construction fears an end to Freedom of Movement could slow the building of homes, already falling behind demand. While agricultural labor, dominated by Eastern Europeans in some regions, concerns about bringing in the harvest.
At some stage the UK is going to close its doors on the EU’s Freedom of Movement, the government though won’t say when for fear there’ll be a last minute rush at British borders.
