As economic migration to the United Kingdom has intensified, so too has the need for integration of the various communities that contribute to the UK economy. It is vital to ensure that equal provision is made available to enable foreign nationals to integrate within their new communities.

Much of the speculation surrounding economic migration issues is often made without actually taking stock of the potential benefits locked within. And, as we move forward into a growing multi-cultural society, we need to assist new residents by providing equal provisions that help to unlock that potential, thanks to successful integration into society.

There is the argument that foreign workers need to learn the native language if they are to integrate successfully into the working environment and social culture of the country. This will not happen overnight, however. For this reason, it is important that information is available to all sections of society in order to engage them with local issues. By providing this information, it goes some way to prevent individuals feeling alienated whilst at the same time encouraging integration.

By demonstrating a capacity to accommodate and integrate foreign nationals in the UK a message is expressed that diversity is actively encouraged here. This can create the possibility for a more cosmopolitan perspective to infiltrate sectors of society where matters such as equality in the workplace and cultural education need revising.

Since Poland became a member of the European Union in 2004, its citizens gained the right to move freely within the EU to work. Attracted by the higher wages offered in the UK, many Polish workers made the decision to settle here to seek employment.

In Reading, Berkshire, unofficial estimates state that there are around 8,000 Polish people currently living in the town. And, in October 2006, if you happened to stroll past a