Poles could leave UK en masse after ‘race hate killing’

A MASS exodus of Poles from Britain could be triggered by Brexit and the apparently racially motivated murder of one of their fellow citizens, warned the country’s deputy prime minister yesterday.

Mateusz Morawiecki suggested that 200,000 could eventually return home in the wake of Brexit – with anxiety exacerbated among Britain’s Polish community by the death of Arek Jozwik, 40.

He was attacked by youths on Saturday night in Harlow, Essex, as he stood outside a takeaway eating pizza with friends. He died two days later in hospital.

Mr Morawiecki told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that around a quarter of his countrymen who have come to the UK might return when he was asked about the impact of the Brexit vote.

But factory worker Mr Jozwik’s death would also ‘ pose a

‘Pose a question mark for families’

question mark’ for many Polish families, he added.

On Brexit, he said: ‘I believe there will be many people coming back. I don’t know how many but apparently there are some 900,000 now in Great Britain.

‘I think a couple of hundreds of thousands may come back over the next five to ten years.

‘Poland has now a very low level of unemployment, a highly educated staff and businesses are growing as nowhere in Europe.’

On the death of Mr Joswik, who had lived in Britain for four years, he said: ‘This was a very sad day and sad event. I know one line of investigation was that it might have been a hate crime.

‘I hope it will never happen again but, yes, this will pose a question mark in many families, Polish families, in Great Britain.’

Mr Jozwik’s brother Radek, 36, has said officers confirmed that race was a key line of inquiry.

Six boys aged 15 and 16 have been arrested on suspicion of Mr Jozwik’s murder and bailed.