dearly beloved polish immigration officer

[avjones]

Now about

The vast majority of racially-motivated crimes world-wide don't involve white people on either side.

.That is somewhat anomalous because if it is "racially"motivated,it presupposes that there is a difference in colour,

Tht is not at all true - under English law, for example, Sikhs and Jews are both races. That means that if I attack a Jew with facial insults, that is racially-aggravated violence, even if we are both white.

[Docterror]

At the risk of being pedantic.Mr Sinclair is correct.beloved and ethnicism are two different things.

Strictly technically speaking, maybe you both do have a foot to stand on.

But legally and practically speaking, if someone where to tell me that killing someone on the basis of colour is beloved while wiping out an entire group who are different only ethnically is not beloved because technically they are the same race, I will have to pinch myself to make sure that I am not in a nightmare of being stuck in a room of irritable anthropologists, debating the definition of something that is itself debated.

Not just according to the UK law, but also according to UN International Conventions, the term "facial discrimination"

shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

I will leave it at that.

[fakira]

deleted

[freshprince]

I will have to pinch myself to make sure that I am not in a nightmare of being stuck in a room of irritable anthropologists, debating the definition of something that is itself debated.

Lol Touche!

[SuperX7]

To globocentro...

I feel for ya man, I really do. My fiance is Polish, I am South Korean and we are planning to get married next Autumn.. I have been visiting her almost once every month the past 10 months as she needs to finish up her Masters degree back in Poland... and everytime I travel there, I get sh*t. EVERYTIME. Immigration officers ask me tons of questions, however, most of them are civil. If I dont get sh*t from the officers, I get stared at wherever I go, women/men/children, you name it (no I am NOT paranoid) so it isn't exactly pleasant being there, especially when my Polish is at a very basic level.

Mind you, I dont mind those that stare at me/us outta curiousity (oh, what an interesting/odd couple), it is those that stare out of "hate" or give me the "what the f*ck" look that offend and upset me. I just have to take it.

One particular bad experience went like this (honest):

*Officer looks at passport, looks at me* Repeat twice.

"What was your purpose of your visit?"
"I was visiting my fiance"
"She lives here?"
"Yes, she is Polish"
"What does she do?"
"She is finishing her Masters degree here in Krakow"

*Officer looks at passport, flips through each page with all stamps*

"How long were you here?"
"1.5 weeks"
"You travelled here before?"
"Yes, like I said, my fiance lives here so I have to visit her often"

*Officer looks through passport again*

"What do you do in England?"
"I'm studying there as well"

*At this point, his colleague comes in the booth, they have a chat, both looking through my passport*

His colleague now

"You say you are studying in England?"
"Yes, you can see my visa on that page"

*His tone gets very aggressive now*

"You are studying music?"
"Yes I am"
"What instrument do you play?"
"I used to play the classical piano, but the degree actually has to do a lot with studio techniques and such"

*I get a blank look*

"Look, I dont see what the problem is. I have my student card, my UK visa is clearly there in front of you, which means that I can legally enter England?"

*First officer stamps my passport*

Pissed off doesnt begin to explain how I felt that day... Apart from these experiences, I do like Poland. However, I find that I either hate the Poles, or love them... sorry for the long post.

[Pakhtoon]

removed

[avjones]

It does annoy me when people see beloved in terms of skin colour only.

I'm white, of British, Anglican background. My dearly beloved is also white, and is Jewish, born in Israel.

You want to try dealing with Israeli security, Orthodox Jewish cousins, and then tell me beloved is only about skin colour.....

[SuperX7]

Wow !! unbelievable !!

Unbelievable? Man, I thought I had it bad.. Your story is unbelievable!!! I won't be complaining now at the airports now that I know what you've been through.

I don't know how to express my feelings after getting through this because I thought I was being punished for being a Pakistani and a Muslim but I had no idea people from other richer and more respectable countries like South Korea and Malaysia were going through the same misery. Its really ...... don't know the word.

Apart from that, the strange looks is another reality. Again I thought it was only Me because of my skin color but I am shocked to know that people from other countries ( who don't look like terrorists ) also get the same sh*t !

but in the end, I guess we have to live with it.

Indeed my friend. Like I said, I have mixed feelings when it comes to Poland. I always have to take a deep breath and think, its a developing country and it will only get better in years to come (with regards to foreigners and tolerance) everytime I am there. Its especially hard sometimes to contain my emotions as I grew up with beloved around me (I was the only asian kid in my neighborhood) - its kinda like re-visiting my childhood/adolescence!

Anyway, thanks for sharing your story and once again, congratulations!

[Docterror]

Amanda, the problem with beloved on the basis of skin colour is that it tends to spring in the minds of people without any sort of prior contact at all and is also the hip thing to be paranoid about. It is more comparable to you treating a person based on how cute they look, weight, height, hair (on the scalp), the way they dress, how they smell etc. A lot of our interaction with another person depends on how the person appeals to us.

We all personally judge almost everyone we come across based on things we like and do not. We just are reluctant to admit it. The problem arises when such factors lets us cloud out professional judgement, not the private ones.

So, if the Israeli Border control discriminates against you, it is beloved. But with the Orthodox in-laws, I think it is just culture clash.

[avjones]

"So, if the Israeli Border control discriminates against you, it is beloved. But with the Orthodox in-laws, I think it is just culture clash."

No, it's not just culture.

A lot of Jews are paranoid about assimilation. Have you never heard Jews who marry out being described as "doing Hitler's work for him"?

[Docterror]

Have you never heard Jews who marry out being described as "doing Hitler's work for him"?

Why? Is everyone supposed to have known that? Which means they admonish people from their own race and religion for something that they have done, which goes against their orthodox beliefs.

They might take the same derogatory stance to a Jew who is uncircumcised or consumes pork. So, if it is the action they condemn and not the race, it cannot be beloved.

If they are as paranoid about marrying someone from the "outside" because they consider Jews to be superior than the other races and it is the root of all the differences that spring, then it is indeed dearly beloved.

[archigabe]

If they are as paranoid about marrying someone from the "outside" because they consider Jews to be superior than the other races and it is the root of all the differences that spring, then it is indeed dearly beloved.

I think it's partly about the feeling of being a small race overwhelmed by the rest of the world and losing their identity and heritage. For example, many Indians have the same issue with people marrying outside their 'caste', or outside their sect or denomination.

[avjones]

There is indeed still a feeling among many Jews that they are God's chosen people.

Israel, for example, doesn't have civil marriage. Only religious marriage, so Jews can only marry Jews, Christians and Muslims similarly only within their faiths.

[avjones]

Race and ethnicity are different.

The AIT doesn't really agree. I came across this today researching for another case, AS (Burundi) [2005] UKAIT 00172:

14. The Refugee Convention offers protection against persecution amongst other reasons because of a person's race. That good simple English word covers any kind of tribal or ethnic identity they may be seen as having, and is most certainly not limited to such features as the colour of their skin. It was good enough for the framers of the Convention in 1951, and should be good enough for us now. We strongly suspect that transatlantic history and practice since then has been responsible both for the unnecessary "ethnicity", and the misconception apparently represented by the presenting officer's use of it.

15. The great struggle to defeat the colour bar in the United States in the 1950s and 60s led first to the false impression that race was only about colour; and then to the further delusion that not racialism, but the word "race" itself was the evil to be avoided. Persecution for reasons of race was of course the main historical evil against which the 1951 Convention was directed; and if it were thought that a claim can be belittled by describing it as "at best one based on ethnitiy", that would show a lack of understanding of history, as well as of the words of the Convention.

[globocentro]

To globocentro...

I feel for ya man, I really do. My fiance is Polish, I am South Korean and we are planning to get married next Autumn.. I have been visiting her almost once every month the past 10 months as she needs to finish up her Masters degree back in Poland... and everytime I travel there, I get sh*t. EVERYTIME. Immigration officers ask me tons of questions, however, most of them are civil. If I dont get sh*t from the officers, I get stared at wherever I go, women/men/children, you name it (no I am NOT paranoid) so it isn't exactly pleasant being there, especially when my Polish is at a very basic level.

Mind you, I dont mind those that stare at me/us outta curiousity (oh, what an interesting/odd couple), it is those that stare out of "hate" or give me the "what the f*ck" look that offend and upset me. I just have to take it.

One particular bad experience went like this (honest):

*Officer looks at passport, looks at me* Repeat twice.

"What was your purpose of your visit?"
"I was visiting my fiance"
"She lives here?"
"Yes, she is Polish"
"What does she do?"
"She is finishing her Masters degree here in Krakow"

*Officer looks at passport, flips through each page with all stamps*

"How long were you here?"
"1.5 weeks"
"You travelled here before?"
"Yes, like I said, my fiance lives here so I have to visit her often"

*Officer looks through passport again*

"What do you do in England?"
"I'm studying there as well"

*At this point, his colleague comes in the booth, they have a chat, both looking through my passport*

His colleague now

"You say you are studying in England?"
"Yes, you can see my visa on that page"

*His tone gets very aggressive now*

"You are studying music?"
"Yes I am"
"What instrument do you play?"
"I used to play the classical piano, but the degree actually has to do a lot with studio techniques and such"

*I get a blank look*

"Look, I dont see what the problem is. I have my student card, my UK visa is clearly there in front of you, which means that I can legally enter England?"

*First officer stamps my passport*

Pissed off doesnt begin to explain how I felt that day... Apart from these experiences, I do like Poland. However, I find that I either hate the Poles, or love them... sorry for the long post.

I really sympathize with people like you because you have to go there regularly unlike me. I've made my first and last visit to Poland. What i experienced is quite similar to your. I have my passport stamped after telling them off in a very rude way. I even refused to answer certain questions by telling them that they were irrelevant. Frankly speaking i was only there on a one day transit and i wouldnt have given a damn even if i was refused entry. I will not swap my dignity for entry into a country that has nothing but contempt for it

[globocentro]

Wow !! unbelievable !!
I do feel sorry for you super ! I thought it was only Me getting sh*t like that because of a Pakistani passport !! I have been reading through this post and would like to share my experience in here. I have been coming to Poland to see my girl-friend ( now my wife ) and every time, I have been facing the same attitude.
The first time I came, I was standing in the queue and a couple of guys still ahead of me. The immigration office looked at me and made a face like ( what are you doing here ? ) and he made it very clear. Went to the counter and here it goes.

Flipping through my passport as if he was looking for something

are you from Pakistan ? ( as if my passport was not that of Pakistan )
yes
what are you visiting Poland for ?
to see my girl-friend
Is she from Pakistan ?
no she is Polish
how long are you here for ?
three days
where are you staying ?
I pointed the address of hotel in the booking letter I had
how much cash do you have ?
600 pounds
600 dollars ?
no pounds, british pounds
pound ? what is it ? show me
I took a note out and showed him picture of the queen

then everything goes quite, he scanned my visa for I think 10 times and asked me to write my name and date of birth on a sheet of paper ( God knows what for ) stamped the passport and said ok go. From his face and those of others around me, it was looking like I had a bomb tied to my chest and was going to blow everything up !!

Second time, I came it was even worse !

I went to the counter and gave him my passport. After just looking at it, he asked me to go and sit there and wait. When everyone else was gone, he asked me to come to him. Went there and here we again.

Flipping through every page of my passport

Why are you in Poland ?
to see my girl-friend
is she Polish ?
yes
how long are you staying ?
7 days
what date do you return ? he asked this inspite of my return ticket being in front of him !
told him the date ( I don't remember what was it )
then another guy who was probably his boss and who has been looking at me all the time from inside a glass booth, started walking to him. This guy lifted my passport in his hand to show it to them and then three of them came alongwith this boss. now the boss looking at my passport and as usual checking every page of it, says

what do u do in England ?
I am studying
in London ?
no Birmingham
how long have you been there for ?
4 years
why did you come to Poland ?
to see my girl-friend
when did you meet your girl-friend ?
4 years ago

he then walked off and another guy was in the booth now

Started chacking every page of my passport, looking at the picture and me, as if in a great doubt of the picture being mine

What do you do in England ?
I study there, I just told this guy
yes but now you are talking to me !
oh ok
when did you apply for the visa ?
two weeks ago
You live in Birmingham, why did you apply in London ?
because there is no Polish consulate in Birmingham
where is your family ?
in Pakistan
so how do you live alone in England ?
because I study there and I live with my friends
in a hostel ?
no in a house-share
why not in a hostel ?
because thats too expensive
and coming to Poland is cheap ?
no its not, but I don't mind spending money to see my girl-friend
where do you study ?
University of Birmingham
how long do you still have to study for ?
1 year but I have told all these things to the embassy when I applied for visa...
you go to US, you go germany, you go to france, anyone can ask and this is my right to ask questions. ( this was loud enough to bring others back to the booth )
where does your girl-friend live ?
I don't remember her address
do you remember her name ?
yes
write it here
I wrote her name on a sheet of paper
where does she live ?
I said I don't remember her address, she is here to recieve me, you can ask her
ok wait here

he then went and called on the loud-speaker for my girl-friend who had come to the airport. She later told me that he was asking if I know you, I said he is my boy-friend and then he said ok.he then came to me, scanned my visa again ( something which he has been doing during my entire interrogation ) stamped my passport and said ok. After I took the luggage from the belt, he came running after me and asked for the booking letter of the hotel coz he forgot to note the address !

I don't know how to express my feelings after getting through this because I thought I was being punished for being a Pakistani and a Muslim but I had no idea people from other richer and more respectable countries like South Korea and Malaysia were going through the same misery. Its really ...... don't know the word.

Apart from that, the strange looks is another reality. Again I thought it was only Me because of my skin color but I am shocked to know that people from other countries ( who don't look like terrorists ) also get the same sh*t !

but in the end, I guess we have to live with it.

Personally i dont think they know anything more about Muslims than they know about Asians in general. They are too probably too ignorant to know that they are significant differences between different people from Asian countries. Anyone who is not white is probably the same to them. It doesnt really matter whether they are buddhists , christians or Muslims. I dont think people in Poland have enough knowledge to discriminate against Muslims alone

[sonnouk]

I've had a similar experience in sweden. but i think they were just very surprised to see any non-white person at all!
remember ...poland is not as cosmopolitan as other more developed european countries ..like Britain. She'd probably never seen a non-white person before.

I've passed through immigration many times in quite a few different countries but nothing quite match my experience in Warsaw Airport. I flew there from Budapest. I travelled on a Malaysian passport and i didnt have a visa because i was entering as a tourist.

After i presented my passport to the I/O, she immediately asked me what i was doing in Poland. I then told her that i was there for a short holiday. She then demanded to see my return ticket. That's when the harrasment started. She kept staring at my return ticket and then asked me how long i wanted to stay. I gave her the answer. What she did afterwards was tantamount to facial harrasment. She kept staring at my passport (even at pages that are not relevant) and kept asking me the same question every 30 seconds. She stared at my passport in between asking me the same question. It was very obvious that she was prepared to resort to the lamest tactic to delay my entry to the country.


I got really livid after she asked me the same question for a fifth time. I told her off for straring at pages that are not relevant in a
very rude manner. She was caught completly by surprise and she stamped my passport very reluctantly and let me through. She stamped the final page of my passport on purpose. My passport was only a few months old and only the first 10 pages had been used. I am quite sure that i would have lost it completely if she didnt stamp my passport there and then.

Her lovely is nothing short of appalling. I do understand that very few Asians visit Poland and her behaviour is still inexcusable. I will never visit that country again. German and Hungarian immigration officers didnt ask me any question at all when i entered those countries prior to entering Poland. I entered both countries without visa as well. Common sense tells you that people are much more likely to overstay in Germany compared to Poland.

I am quite sure that her behaviour is racially motivated. I can accept immigration officers that have legitimate question (like those i got in the UK)but i will not tolerate such blatant harrasment. I will make no apologies for being rude to the I/O as well.

[globocentro]

I am very surprised to hear that.I was only asked one question when i passed through passport control in Sweden. The officer didnt even asked for my return ticket. He was very friendly towards me as well.The most surprising thing is that i actually cleared immigration at Malmo Airport, not Stockholm. The officer had to confirm that i didnt need a visa though , which is understandable because no Asians have any reason to fly to Malmo and he probably has never handled one before. No non white is there to be seen in the vicinity of the Airport when I arrived. I was probably the only non white passenger that used the airport that week. Nonetheless, i was impressed at the hospitality of the airport staff there P



quote="sonnouk"]I've had a similar experience in sweden. but i think they were just very surprised to see any non-white person at all!
remember ...poland is not as cosmopolitan as other more developed european countries ..like Britain. She'd probably never seen a non-white person before.

I've passed through immigration many times in quite a few different countries but nothing quite match my experience in Warsaw Airport. I flew there from Budapest. I travelled on a Malaysian passport and i didnt have a visa because i was entering as a tourist.

After i presented my passport to the I/O, she immediately asked me what i was doing in Poland. I then told her that i was there for a short holiday. She then demanded to see my return ticket. That's when the harrasment started. She kept staring at my return ticket and then asked me how long i wanted to stay. I gave her the answer. What she did afterwards was tantamount to facial harrasment. She kept staring at my passport (even at pages that are not relevant) and kept asking me the same question every 30 seconds. She stared at my passport in between asking me the same question. It was very obvious that she was prepared to resort to the lamest tactic to delay my entry to the country.


I got really livid after she asked me the same question for a fifth time. I told her off for straring at pages that are not relevant in a
very rude manner. She was caught completly by surprise and she stamped my passport very reluctantly and let me through. She stamped the final page of my passport on purpose. My passport was only a few months old and only the first 10 pages had been used. I am quite sure that i would have lost it completely if she didnt stamp my passport there and then.

Her lovely is nothing short of appalling. I do understand that very few Asians visit Poland and her behaviour is still inexcusable. I will never visit that country again. German and Hungarian immigration officers didnt ask me any question at all when i entered those countries prior to entering Poland. I entered both countries without visa as well. Common sense tells you that people are much more likely to overstay in Germany compared to Poland.

I am quite sure that her behaviour is racially motivated. I can accept immigration officers that have legitimate question (like those i got in the UK)but i will not tolerate such blatant harrasment. I will make no apologies for being rude to the I/O as well.

[/quote]

[sonnouk]

...ha ha...
i don't usually take these things too seriously...!
...i wasn't offended then at all...
i just thought it was funny...
maybe the one who handled your case, had seen non-whites before..
and the one who handled mine...just hadn't...!
..i wasn't insinuating anything to do with beloved... javascript:emoticon(':)')

I am very surprised to hear that.I was only asked one question when i passed through passport control in Sweden. The officer didnt even asked for my return ticket. He was very friendly towards me as well.The most surprising thing is that i actually cleared immigration at Malmo Airport, not Stockholm. The officer had to confirm that i didnt need a visa though , which is understandable because no Asians have any reason to fly to Malmo and he probably has never handled one before. No non white is there to be seen in the vicinity of the Airport when I arrived. I was probably the only non white passenger that used the airport that week. Nonetheless, i was impressed at the hospitality of the airport staff there P



quote="sonnouk"]I've had a similar experience in sweden. but i think they were just very surprised to see any non-white person at all!
remember ...poland is not as cosmopolitan as other more developed european countries ..like Britain. She'd probably never seen a non-white person before.

I've passed through immigration many times in quite a few different countries but nothing quite match my experience in Warsaw Airport. I flew there from Budapest. I travelled on a Malaysian passport and i didnt have a visa because i was entering as a tourist.

After i presented my passport to the I/O, she immediately asked me what i was doing in Poland. I then told her that i was there for a short holiday. She then demanded to see my return ticket. That's when the harrasment started. She kept staring at my return ticket and then asked me how long i wanted to stay. I gave her the answer. What she did afterwards was tantamount to facial harrasment. She kept staring at my passport (even at pages that are not relevant) and kept asking me the same question every 30 seconds. She stared at my passport in between asking me the same question. It was very obvious that she was prepared to resort to the lamest tactic to delay my entry to the country.


I got really livid after she asked me the same question for a fifth time. I told her off for straring at pages that are not relevant in a
very rude manner. She was caught completly by surprise and she stamped my passport very reluctantly and let me through. She stamped the final page of my passport on purpose. My passport was only a few months old and only the first 10 pages had been used. I am quite sure that i would have lost it completely if she didnt stamp my passport there and then.

Her lovely is nothing short of appalling. I do understand that very few Asians visit Poland and her behaviour is still inexcusable. I will never visit that country again. German and Hungarian immigration officers didnt ask me any question at all when i entered those countries prior to entering Poland. I entered both countries without visa as well. Common sense tells you that people are much more likely to overstay in Germany compared to Poland.

I am quite sure that her behaviour is racially motivated. I can accept immigration officers that have legitimate question (like those i got in the UK)but i will not tolerate such blatant harrasment. I will make no apologies for being rude to the I/O as well.

[/quote]

[SuperX7]

I really sympathize with people like you because you have to go there regularly unlike me. I've made my first and last visit to Poland. What i experienced is quite similar to your. I have my passport stamped after telling them off in a very rude way. I even refused to answer certain questions by telling them that they were irrelevant. Frankly speaking i was only there on a one day transit and i wouldnt have given a damn even if i was refused entry. I will not swap my dignity for entry into a country that has nothing but contempt for it

Thanks. I'm sure you know it feels to be be-littled just because of your nationality... A third of my passport has stamps from Poland, ha! It isnt right, but such is the world we live in today... I'm not sure "contempt" is the right word though globo - thats a little harsh. Ive experienced wonderful things in Poland too. Ignorance is probably the word you are looking for, plenty of it too.

Personally i dont think they know anything more about Muslims than they know about Asians in general. They are too probably too ignorant to know that they are significant differences between different people from Asian countries. Anyone who is not white is probably the same to them. It doesnt really matter whether they are buddhists , christians or Muslims. I dont think people in Poland have enough knowledge to discriminate against Muslims alone

Unfortunately, Poland isnt as developed as some of the other western countries. Remember its a really big country, has a few big cities, and the rest, well... villages. Its trying to catch up but like any other developing country it takes time. Like I said before (I think I did), Poland now reminds me of Greece about 10+ years ago (thats where I grew up). The behaviour, infrastructure of the country etc. Now Greece is a lot better, more tolerant to foreigners etc, so I can only expect Poland to be the same in the years to come. Going back to what you said, yes, in general they are quite dearly beloved/prejudice against non-white people. Apparantely, in general, they dont like people from Pakistan which would explain why inwarsaw got so much unncessary sh*t. Like I said above, unfortunately thats the world we live in today... what a shame we all cant put our petty grudges aside and just get along.

You know what the funniest thing is with some of these ignorant Poles?

Sometimes when Im walking with my fiance in the UK (she doesnt look Polish and often gets mistaken for Italian/Spanish) I get looks and on occasion comments from them. Heck one time when I was wearing of my favorite red t-shirts that says "Polska" with the typical emblem, I got laughed at by two guys. They emmigrate to a better country, only to be-little and be prejudice against non-white "foreigners". A foreigner in another country making fun of a foreigner for being a foreigner, now that is gold. As they saying goes (I've altered it here to fit it into context) - You can take a Pole out a village but you cant take the village out to the Pole.

[Pakhtoon]

removed

[avjones]

They emmigrate to a better country, only to be-little and be prejudice against non-white "foreigners". A foreigner in another country making fun of a foreigner for being a foreigner, now that is gold.

You get that in all countries, though, including Asian ones.

I spent a couple of month in India when I was 21 years old, with my best mate from school. Being white in India can attract endless, and not always positive, attention.

[avjones]

A proverb from Pakistan says 'its better to think something good for yourself than to think something bad for others'. I wish God put some sense in the empty heads of such people.

My grandmother had a similar saying, "hating someone is like drinking poison and waiting for someone else to die"

[SuperX7]

They emmigrate to a better country, only to be-little and be prejudice against non-white "foreigners". A foreigner in another country making fun of a foreigner for being a foreigner, now that is gold.

You get that in all countries, though, including Asian ones.

I spent a couple of month in India when I was 21 years old, with my best mate from school. Being white in India can attract endless, and not always positive, attention.

You missed the point there avjones.

What I am saying would apply to you if you went to India and then started making fun of the Indians, or any other people that are not from Indian origin.

I.e. You are a tourist, you have no respect for the laws of India, you are prejudice against them, and any other tourists who were there. That is what I mean. This is the nonsense I'm referring to that I see in many Poles here. They come here and do not integrate as well as they could.

Repling to you inwarsaw:

Yes. The majority of Poles that come to the UK are uneducated and take the less desirable jobs. They are enthusiastic because they are earning 5 times more here, doing the same jobs, so they can go back "richer". An example would be, standard waiting job here would pay from
£5.35 - £6.35/hour. In Poland I believe the average waiting wage is £1 per hour. Can you blame them for turning green with greed? I dont blame them, and I have nothing against the hard working ones that integrate well with this society. However, it does become a problem when you get the ones that are ignorant and possibly cause trouble.

Yes, to most Poles, the EU is a blessing. Thats why in many of the Western European countries, the majority of the immigration figures are Poles.

Nope. You, me, the guy/girl next door, nobody should receive threats or abuse because they look different or are from a different ethnic background. Unfortunately, this is the way it is...

And yes, if I ever saw a non-Korean taking interest in my culture and showing it, by say wearing a T-shirt with the National flag, I would find that a good thing.

What your friend went through with the Police must have been an utter nightmare, I dont wish that upon anybody...

Reflecting back to anyone else who might have been reading this, dont get put-off please. I'm proud that my fiance is Polish. I just wish I had a grey area with Poland because so far, I either LOVE them, or HATE them.

[Pakhtoon]

removed