week 48

Busy week, and it is more and more difficult to keep track of all the news related to our subject. So let's see, what do we have here.

Last Sunday, some statistics hit the news. According to it, there are 100.000 Poles
working in Holland. The message was: "Look government said there will be 100.000 per year, and now we have it already, after 6 months".
Statistics has always one problem, it is easy to exploit it for your own purpose. First of all, I'm not sure if this number is from 1st of May 2007 (opening of the labour market) or from 1st of May 2004 (EU), the article is not clear on this. Second, is it really Poles or perhaps citizens of all the "new" EU memebers (everybody tends to forget that there were 9 other countries joining EU in 2004).
So instead of 100.000 it could be 50.000.
Anyway, many annoying comments under this news, but also some voices, which give a hope, that stereotypes can be changed.
But still, I have not heard any voice saying:"...look, 100.000 so it means at least a few thousands of doctors, engineers, scientist, and young educated people...".
No no no, nobody noticed... yet.

During the week more news:

Leader of PVV Geert Wilders says that the border must be closed for Poles minimun until 2009.
He points out that "huge" numbers of East-European imigrants cause problems in the cities. Criminalty blah blah. Making long story short, typical langauge of a
populist. I've been waiting for it actually. Geert Wilders and Rita verdonk (another populist here) use Polish minority regularly as a tool to get some
attention, make some noise in the media, and win some votes in the future elections. The example of Rita's action you can read here. Three weeks ago she called for another rule: "Polish people should be allowed to work here only for six months".

Another one Poles should not follow the example of
imigrants from Turkey, who came to Holland in the '60 and '70. According to this, they should integrate or be forced to be integrated (language, culture etc) asap.
so the problems in the future can be mitigated. One thing which is always overlooked here is that Poles are Europeans, we share the same religious roots, culture,
and history. I'm often puzzeled by this, because the only difference I really see is that Sinter Klaas comes here on 5th Dec and not on 6th, and is supported by
this strange creatures - Zwarte Pieten.

And finally one news rasing an alarm that "huge numbers" of Poles, people from Bulgaria nad Romenia, are comming to Holland.
It seems that the attention of the media, slowly goes in the direction of the newest memebers of EU. Same story, again.

Oh yes, one thing from yesterday, in the metro (page 3), the article about international criminality, was ilustrated by the photo of Polish licence plate...
You see that is what I'm talking about.