'Why is Ireland's Polish community coming home?'

'Ireland

Many Polish people in Ireland have a similar story, but now, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, due to the housing crisis and rising living costs, many are leaving Ireland to return to their homeland. Recent census results have shown a significant decline in the number of Polish citizens in Ireland. While Polish remains the most common non-Irish nationality in the country, their numbers have fallen by almost a quarter (24 percent) since 2016, from 122,515 to 93,680.

The reasons for the return of Polish citizens to Poland

'People who came here just to save money and buy a house in their home country have already saved enough and property prices here are too high to stay in Ireland. The difference in''what they could get in Poland is crazy,' says Starosta.

The Starosta has considered returning home, but believes Poland is "still very backward in some social issues." "I'm married to an Irish woman and that affects my decision on whether we would ever go back.

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Personally, we didn't have a problem when we visited Poland, but the Catholic Church is still very influential. I would say that people who value human freedom would not want to raise their children in Poland," she says.

The housing crisis and integration in Ireland

Otherwise, Teresa Buczkowska, director of the migrant rights activist movement, says the main reason for Polish citizens returning home is the housing crisis.''engagement of Polish organizations,' and the Consular Section and Polish Diaspora visited more than 30,000 clients in 2022. "Polish nationals still make up 2 percent of Irish society and 15 percent of the non-Irish population. Polish is still the most widely spoken foreign language. Consequently, the embassy believes that there could be even more Polish citizens living in Ireland," said Polish Ambassador to Ireland Anna Sochanska.