ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the discussion that moves away from the factors which determine the accession national's entitlement to access employment in the UK. It seeks to examine the status accorded to such migrants within the UK labour market once access has been secured. The chapter explores the notion of de-skilling in relation to EU8 migrants who took up work in the UK in the aftermath of the 2004 EU enlargement, drawing upon both the personal experiences of the Polish respondents interviewed and the wider inter-disciplinary literature on the recognition of migrant worker's skills and experience in host countries. It considers the differential gender-impact of formalized employer-driven migration schemes. The chapter concludes by questioning whether the devalued position occupied by migrants in the UK may have any long-term consequences for the migrant's labour market activity and professional progression should they return to their home state.
