Not everyone has benefited from the the gamble of moving to Britain. An estimated 3,000 Poles are sleeping rough. The Providence Row homeless charity in East London says that half its clientele comes from Poland and other Eastern European countries that entered the enlarged European Union in 2004.

“They come here for work and don’t find any,” Stephanie Harrison, its operations manager, said. “They get into a cycle and become vulnerable.”

Up to 60 new Polish men come through the doors every month. Many Eastern Europeans who are not entitled to state benefits use homeless hostels as stepping stones while they look for work. Not all succeed. “There’s a core group of clients that remain steadfast and we can’t do anything with,” Ms Harrison said. “Maybe 60 per cent of those people who came here initially are still here. They’re in a bit of a rut.”

Pawel Damek, 26, found work reno-vating homes but a series of personal disasters left him jobless and homeless. He had already sent all his money home. He told The Times: “I found a job laying paving stones but that only paid £20 day. I got another job through an agency cleaning Wembley market but I was beaten up by four guys in the street.”

Like many Eastern Europeans living rough, he said that returning home was not an option, especially as he could still eat at his local refuge. “Right now I am struggling, but things will get better,” he said.

Philip Burke, a trustee of the Simon Community for the homeless, said: “People will prefer to be homeless here than in their own country. The vast majority of people do find work.”

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