ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the phenomenon of migration by whole families from Poland to the West, with a particular focus on migration to Britain since Poland's accession to the European Union. It also examines the motives of parents who decide from the outset that the entire family will migrate, as well as other cases where the husband migrates first, expecting to return, but the family then decides to reunite abroad. The research project investigates families from small towns and villages in Poland, with special focus on migration to three locations in the west of England: Bristol, Bath and Trowbridge, a small town near Bath. The case of Polish family migration illustrates the helpfulness of a livelihood strategy approach. A qualitative study of migration decisions which focuses on how households and individuals operate within the context of the local environment is an essential supplement to more macrolevel explanations for migration trends.
