BBC accused of fuelling race attacks on Poles

by Dave Keating | June 4, 2008 at 11:34 pm

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Polish immigrants to the UK are frequently vilified by the media and the citizenry, and 'Polish' is often just used as shorthand for Eastern European immigrants who have come to work in the UK now that their entry into the EU allows them to. An MP has introduced a bill that would create a bank holiday to honor the contributionof Poles to British society.

His objection to the media coverage centers on his belief that the BBC is purposefully highlighting Polish people when it discusses immigration because they are legal immigrants, rather than focusing on illegal immigrants from outside Europe.

Conservative MP Danny Kawczynski said the BBC's coverage of immigration issues tended to concentrate on Poles even though most immigrants to the UK came from outside Europe.

The result, he said, was a rising number of assaults on Poles living in Britain.

He highlighted his concerns in the Commons when he introduced a Bill calling for a bank holiday to mark the positive contribution that Poles have made to the UK since 1940.