Poles Bring Lessons from History to Scottish Referendum
Scotland may historically have been a nation of emigration but a wave of recent Polish immigrants will vote in Thursday's independence referendum, with lessons from their home countries shaping their decision.
As in much of the rest of Britain, Poles make up the biggest group of immigrants in Scotland. Of the seven percent of people in Scotland born abroad, 15 percent or 55,000 are from Poland.
Most moved for economic reasons after Poland became part of the European Union in 2004 and Polish shops, cafes and bars now dot the streets of cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow.
At the Bazyliszek Polish Deli in Edinburgh, owner Adam Pietrzak worried that independence could be bad for Scotland and his business.
"We are against it. I think Scotland will be stronger in the UK -- I don't see the point of getting out of the UK. Scottish people have their own government," he said.
He feared having to pay import taxes on stock like Polish vodka and sausage if Scotland was excluded from the European Union while it renegotiated membership as an independent country.
While Poland has had to struggle for the right to self-determination repeatedly in its history, including before the fall of Communism in 1989, Pietrzak saw no parallels with the campaign for Scottish independence.
"I think it's a different story about Poland 25 years ago than Scotland now. Nobody beats you because of your thoughts. Over here, you can be Scottish, paint your face, nobody cares, it's totally different," he said.
Customer Adrian Lewczuk, 27, who works for a restaurant chain, was also worried about the economic impact of a "Yes" vote.
"I could see what happened with Ireland and Slovakia. They had big economic problems," he said.
"I can understand why Scotland would want to leave the UK. Poland did the same with Russia but these were different times and being under Russia was much worse than being under the UK."
In the 19th century and 20th century, hundreds of thousands of Scots moved abroad in search of a better life. In 1904-13 and 1921-30 alone, 550,000 left -- a fifth of the working population.
But in recent years, more people have moved to Scotland than left. Net immigration in 2012-13 was 10,000, down from a peak of 33,000 in 2006-07.
If Scotland becomes independent, First Minister Alex Salmond wants to increase the number of people moving there in a bid boost the economy and tax revenues.
The Scottish government says it will stay part of the EU in the event of independence and citizens from other EU countries in Scotland will be able to remain as before.
But there have been questions in the campaign about whether Scotland could renegotiate membership and how long it would take.
The "Yes" to independence camp says some "No" campaigners have been warning Poles they might have to leave an independent Scotland as their right to be in the country under EU laws could be put in jeopardy if Scotland's position is uncertain.
The Herald newspaper quoted Marek Soltysiak of the Polish Community in Scotland organisation saying: "To suggest that we will all be deported following a 'Yes' vote is patronising and insulting."
The "No" campaign has dismissed the allegations.
Tomek Borkowy, an actor who is campaigning for Poles to vote "Yes" to independence, urged Poles to ignore the "scaring" arguments of the "No" campaign.
"Only 25 years ago we reclaimed our full independence. We understand the need of a nation for self-determination and most of us will support it," he said.
"Poles frequently tried to regain independence, but they also lent themselves to fight for the freedom of others."
He added: "This notion is embedded in our blood and that is the other reason why a lot of us will vote 'Yes'."
Source: Agence France Presse
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