The Poles are Coming!
BBC Two Tuesday 11 March 2008
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According to some of the locals, Peterborough is being stretched to breaking point by the influx of Eastern Europeans, attracted to the area by the promise of high wages and decent living conditions in exchange for manual labour. Employers are delighted with their Polish recruits, but some residents want the Poles to go home.
They're not alone. The Polish city of Gdansk wants its workers back. Its shipyards are struggling without them and there aren't enough men to build the football stadium ready for Euro 2012. This prompts Gdansk's leaders to visit Peterborough to plead for the return of their workers.
Can the Polish immigrants be tempted home and how will the local economy cope if they left? Award-winning documentary filmmaker Tim Samuels follows the global success of The Zimmers, the OAP pop group he brought to BBC Two, with this wry examination on the impact of immigration on one typical English city.
Credits:
Crew
- Presenter... Tim Samuels
- Director/camera... Alex Mackintosh
- Producer... Tom Giles
- Executive Producer... Dominic Crossley-Holland
Related Links
- Article by Tim Samuels about the programme
- BBC News South: Report on Polish immigration
- BBC News: Spotlight on Poland
- Reaction from Peterborough residents
- The Guardian on The Poles are Coming!
- The Telegraph on The Poles are Coming!
- Feature on Poles working in the UK
- Polish Cultural Institute
- Polish Express online
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