Germany: Goerlitz makes use of Brexit to attract Polish workforce

W/S Goerlitz, German and Polish sides separated by the Neisse river
W/S Goerlitz, buildings on the German side
W/S Goerlitz, buildings on the Polish side
W/S Neisse river
W/S Bridge; a view towards the German side
W/S GoerlitzZgorzelec GmbH managing director Andrea Friederike Behr in her office
W/S Behr on her computer
SOT, Andrea Friederike Behr, managing director Europastadt GoerlitzZgorzelec GmbH (German): "We here in Goerlitz/Zgorzelec have created this ad campaign for foreign workforce, especially for the Poles living in Great Britain, because we have a deficit in workforce."
C/U Behr's hands holding a smartphone *CUTAWAY*
C/U Behr looking at a campaign video on her computer *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Andrea Friederike Behr, managing director Europastadt GoerlitzZgorzelec GmbH (German): "The mood among the foreigners there is not especially good. We realised that. We already had the first Brexit-Poles, so to say, come to us here in Goerlitz, living and working here. The fact is that the mood has shifted in Great Britain and not only that — a lot of Poles that are there with their families think about coming back closer to their families, and we can take advantage of that here"
C/U Behr's hands *CUTAWAY*
C/U Computer monitor *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Andrea Friederike Behr, managing director Europastadt GoerlitzZgorzelec GmbH (German): "We receive a lot of positive feedback, for instance from companies that contact us saying they also want a profile of their companies on the website. But also from organisations who want to help, have offers for foreigners, who they could attend, take them, and want to be part of our homepage."
W/S Behr working on her computer *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Andrea Friederike Behr, managing director Europastadt GoerlitzZgorzelec GmbH (German): "And also from the citizens, who understand that we need this workforce. For example, when you look at the number of doctors here, from 850 doctors, approximately 250 are foreigners, and from that number — 115 are Polish. One knows that in order to uphold the infrastructure here in the future we need this positive influx."
W/S Behr leaving her office
W/S Goerlitz street
SOT, Dieter Fiedler, resident (German): "One can't know what will happen with Brexit in Great Britain and if the Polish citizens would eventually need to leave Great Britain. And I would say it would be great both for the people, a good solution, and it would help Germany. At least in that region."
W/S Polish citizen Damian Kuck-Doszko preparing a coffee in his cafe
SOT, Damian Kuck-Doszko, Polish citizen in Goerlitz: "I talked to my friends, and I have friends in the UK and in Ireland. So, I think it has created some problems. But for some people who decide to stay in the UK — that's no problem. Nothing, whatever. But someone who's, like, hesitating, Goerlitz it's an opportunity, I would say. Yes, especially Goerlitz. It's close to Poland. It's a good solution for Polish people."
C/U Kuck-Doszko's hands preparing a coffee
W/S Kuck-Doszko in front of the cafe where he works
SCRIPT
A campaign was recently lauched online seeking to attract Polish citizens living in the United Kingdom — who are having concerns regarding Brexit — to come and work in the town of Goerlitz, on the border between Germany and Poland. Andrea Friederike Behr, Managing Director of the company that launched the campaign — Europastadt GoerlitzZgorzelec GmbH — spoke on camera about it, in Goerlitz on Thursday.
"We here in Goerlitz/Zgorzelec have created this ad campaign for foreign workforce, especially for the Poles living in Great Britain, because we have a deficit in workforce," said Behr. "The fact is that the mood has shifted in Great Britain and not only that — a lot of Poles that are there with their families think about coming back closer to their families, and we can take advantage of that here."
"We receive a lot of positive feedback, for instance from companies that contact us saying they also want a profile of their companies on the website. But also from organisations who want to help, have offers for foreigners, who they could attend, take them, and want to be part of our homepage," she added.
Damian Kuck-Doszko, a Polish citizen who lived in Dublin before moving to Goerlitz, said that Brexit has created some problems for the people living in the United Kingdom.
"I think it has created some problems. But for some people who decide to stay in the UK — that's no problem. Nothing, whatever. But someone who's, like, hesitating, Goerlitz it's an opportunity, I would say. Yes, especially Goerlitz. It's close to Poland. It's a good solution for Polish people," he said.