DISILLUSIONED migrants from Eastern and Central Europe are returning home as their dreams of a better life in Britain turn sour.

Five weeks after their countries joined the European Union, the reality of life here is proving tougher than many hopeful migrants expected when they boarded aircraft and coaches for London.

They have found it much more difficult than expected to find work, housing and even to open bank accounts.

Migrants from largely rural areas have been bewildered at finding themselves in a city the size of London. The plight of those coming unable to speak basic English has been even worse.

Some have been victims of “scams” in which they handed over cash to fraudsters with promises of non-existent jobs or housing.

The Polish Foreign Ministry recently estimated that, since May 1, 15,000 people had left Poland for London and that 8,000 had returned. It is not clear how this figure was reached because free movement within the EU means that there is no counting of Poles departing from or arriving in their country.

But the difficulties facing migrants travelling to Britain and the stories of those who have returned have been sufficient to prompt action by the governments of Poland and the Czech Republic.

At a press conference to inform Poles about the realities of life in this country, the Polish Government warned migrants that they should have a job lined up before departing, speak English and should not travel on the basis that it would be easy to get a job.

Within ten days, the Czech Embassy in London had 40 people seeking help to return home after finding out that life over here was not as comfortable as they had expected. Before May 1, the embassy would have had about twelve people a month seeking assistance.

In Poland newspapers and magazines have published reports under headlines such as “Polish Hell in London” and there have been articles claiming that some job advertisements in the Polish press are an elaborate criminal racket.

Young Poles have been returning home penniless having failed to find work.

Yesterday, at Warsaw’s international bus station, Stefan Barcinski emerged at the end of a 28-hour journey from London just delighted to be back home. Mr Barcinski, a dishevelled construction worker, said: “I didn’t get any work. London is so expensive. I had to live off bread — just bread. I will never go back.”

Watching over all of this is a woman who has seen it many times before. Kasia Szuwinska is a travel assistant who has been with the Atas Travel bus company for three years.

“Many Poles who went on or just after May 1 will be disappointed,” Ms Szuwinska said. “It will take a few weeks for their savings to run out.”

Jan Mokrzycki, President of the Federation of Poles in Great Britain, said that many Poles who had come to Britain after Poland joined the EU on May 1 had returned already.

“I think what happened in Poland is that too many people thought that now they could travel freely throughout the EU, they would just go to Britain and find work,” Mr Mokrzycki said.

“People, mostly single men, have been arriving without knowledge of English, without accommodation and without work.

“It has been difficult and tough for them. Many have returned to Poland.”

For some of those returning there is a sense of shame at being seen as having failed, but Mr Mokrzycki said that there would be longer-term benefits. “I am very happy that people have gone back,” he said. “People who have had a bitter experience will spread the word that it is not easy in Britain. It is better if those coming are better prepared, have a basic knowledge of English and a contact for employment.”

Ten countries — Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus — joined the EU on May 1.

On that date citizens of those countries had complete freedom of movement throughout the EU. But alarm at the prospect of large numbers of migrants heading West led existing member-states to place restrictions on the newcomers’ access to jobs and social welfare benefits.

Official estimates on how many have travelled to Britain since May 1 and how many have registered for work will be published this summer. Whitehall officials say that the general impression after five weeks is that the amount of traffic is “slightly up”.

The Czech Embassy in London said yesterday: “Our people should be aware that, if life is difficult in the Czech Republic, it is as difficult, or even more difficult, in Britain.”

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