Forum Topic

Polish Rough Sleepers

As European citizen I'm disgusted and sickened what I read in the following text on Hammersmith Today. I do really feel this council has lost the run of themselves.  It appears to me that a group of defenceless people are being scapegoted by the council as the source of all social ills. This is wholly unacceptable. I would hope our the Government of our fellow EU country Poland will make a very strong challenge to this type of prejudice.    

John Kennedy ● 6422d6 Comments

Well it must be a terrible 'menace' however, one that I am unaware of.I take my dog to the park daily and have never been abused or seen drunks lying around.Is this just more Tory nonsense? their propaganda machine trying to manipulate the foolish into perceiving that there is a problem? Sounds like it to me.As the greatest Tory [if there is such a thing] Winston Churchill said in 1947: 'I WANT TO SEE A UNITED STATES OF EUROPE'.Keep up the good work H&F.

John Price ● 6409d

The wording of the article is, IMHO, very poor.  It implies that the rough sleepers are all antisocial drunks and seems to use the two terms interchangably.There are some people who have come from Eastern Europe and not managed to find work who may be sleeping rough, but are not antisocial drunks.  I know this from experience as I have one such person working for me.  He came from Eastern Europe, slept rough, found work and is now a well-liked and respected member of our team as a result of his hard work, diligence and personality.I really think that this article should be removed and re-drafted; or simply reprinted word-for-word in the Daily Mail.  Poor journalism, IMHO.

Andrew Broadbent ● 6421d

John -I think you have misinterpreted what is going on here.  The work of the Barka foundation is entirely around helping those people that have come to Britain from Poland but for whom things have not worked out.  Either they have not found work or a roof or both - and in turn have turned to drink, sometimes drugs and crime - and become an anti-social menace to society.  Once in that vicious circle they have little hope of realising whatever hopes and aspirations they had when arriving here.  The Barka foundation (a Polish charity that works with the Polish Government) works with those people to get them back on their feet - and sometimes that does involve returning to Poland for training and work.  The entire Barka project is about helping the small minority of Polish people for whom coming to Britain has not worked out - and helping them to have the opportunity of a brighter future.I hope these comments help and have better explained to you the reality of what is happening here.Cllr Greg SmithCabinet Member for Crime and Anti-Social BehaviourThe London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

Greg Smith ● 6422d

"But the tone of the article seemed to suggest these unfortunates were causing crime."It said "groups of drunks, who congregate on benches and in parks to hurl abuse at passers-by".  Sounds like a crime to me, drunk and disorderly it used to be called."Also there was complete ignorance of the Treaty of Rome - "back for good". The fact is there is free movement of people."Well, yes, but there's a big difference between putting them in a police cell overnight and providing rehabilitation and training elsewhere. Anyway, that's a quibble about the wording in the news item, rather than the action the council are taking together with the Barka charity.I still feel your initial post claiming that "a group of defenceless people are being scapegoated by the council as the source of all social ills" was not justified at all by the article.  What alternative action are you suggesting?

Richard Jennings ● 6422d

Richard,Read the article on the front page and give your intrepretaion. I'm not denying there is a problem at all  - there clearly is, I should know - I live across from a park where many homeless Polish congregrate. But the tone of the article seemed to suggest these unfortunates were causing crime. I'd like to see the borough stats on this.  It's also intresting to see the moral values of a Government - only one of three in Europe that allowed free movement of labour - deny help to these new migrants help at job centres.  Also there was complete ignorance of the Treaty of Rome - "back for good". The fact is there is free movement of people.

John Kennedy ● 6422d

What exactly is the prejudice that you talk of, John?  Are you denying that there is a problem with some Polish immigrants who have not managed to establish themselves in the community here?  I don't see anything in the news item that says the people concerned are "the source of all social ills".

Richard Jennings ● 6422d