Polish residents who have made Herefordshire home speak out about what Brexit would mean for them

It is just three weeks until people all over the country will head to the polls to decide whether they want Britain to remain in the European Union.

And Herefordshire is home to hundreds of Europeans who consider the county home and who have concerns about what the future would hold should Britain leave the EU in June.

Emilia Koziol-Wisniewski, from Sutton St Nicholas, said she feels ‘scared, sad and angry’.

The 37-year-old, who has lived and worked in the county for 12 years, said: “I hope it’s not going to be the case but I fear really strongly that Britain might actually leave the EU and that just fills me with dread.

“First of all because of myself and my circumstances and my personal situation – I’m not a British citizen – and just purely because we’ve always been exercising our rights as EU citizens so we can move, we can work, we can settle and as long as we play by the rules we’re fine.

“If Britain is to leave the EU I don’t know what our situation will be because nobody is talking about what would happen.

“I cannot think that someone will kick me out but if we are to fall under the same regulations and the same rules as other immigrants then certainly we will need some type of visa.”

More generally, she says she is worried that if Britain leaves the EU that would trigger ‘catastrophic’ things for the rest of Europe.

Britain, she says, is an older democracy which acts as a ‘big brother’ to other European nations.

Recent research by the London School of Economics found that migrants have had no negative effect on UK wages.

The research blamed the 2008 recession for lower real salaries rather than a rise in foreign workers, who paid more into UK economy than they took out.

But many migrants feel they are scapegoated for things such as a lack of housing and a strain on the NHS.

Marta Stoklosa, 39, from Mansel Lacy, says she fears not only for her own future in the country but also that European history could ‘repeat itself’.

“Nationalists are coming to power across Europe, including Poland, and that makes Putin stronger,” she said.

“I think Russia will the biggest beneficent of Brexit, and it's bad news for all of us.

"I came to this country not because of benefits, but because I wanted to have a chance at a better life. I work, I raise my children and I am studying to achieve that. I am not expecting anything, I am working for it. And yet I read every day that I am a sponger and I am sick of that.”

Maciej Zakshevsky has lived in Hereford since November when he moved to gain experience for teacher training, and said he believes it would be better better for both Britain and Europe if Brexit doesn't happen.

“I understand the fears of some Britons and calls for strengthening the borders, especially in the light of recent terrorism inside Europe,” he said.

“Also the social issues such as the housing crisis is not helping the pro-European side. In my opinion the main issues for people in favour of leaving the EU remains the ' foreigners are taking our jobs' and 'they are abusing our benefits' system' rhetorics.”

He said he always asks people with such views to conduct simple research to find out how much migrants are taking from public money compared to how much is paid into the system in taxes.

“This equation is very simple and shows clearly if the British economy would be better off without all those migrants,” he said.

“I believe that despite many differences we are better off together than separately. I hope that the British public will vote with their minds and won't let the politics and fears get into the way.”