0:00:02 > 0:00:09This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12MUSIC STOPS WITH A SCRATCH
0:00:12 > 0:00:14For the last ten years,
0:00:14 > 0:00:18it's been a magnet for the people of Eastern Europe.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21They see it as a place where dreams are made.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I'm expecting so much from this trip.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Maybe it will best years of my life.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31And where hard work will lead to a better life.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Come on, I'm 18,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I really earn more than my own father.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39So many now come to work in the UK,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43that special bus trips are being laid on to show them about Britain
0:00:43 > 0:00:45and their place in it.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49We're going to Clacton-On-Sea. It's in Essex, but it's on the seaside.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51On board THIS one are five new arrivals
0:00:51 > 0:00:54who THINK they know what they're getting into...
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Britain is the promised land for all of us,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59if it wouldn't be then we wouldn't be here.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03..but who are about to find out, Britain may be more of a culture shock than they realised.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04I was really scared,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07because it was just Muslims and black people everywhere
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and I was like Jesus what am I doing here?
0:01:10 > 0:01:12In their search for a new start,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15have they made the biggest mistake of their lives?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18I speak English, Hungarian, German and French
0:01:18 > 0:01:20and I can't find a job as a street cleaner.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22They're a long way from home
0:01:22 > 0:01:25in a country that WON'T always make them welcome.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27I don't think they should be here.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30England is England, innit. It should just be English.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32We should have kept them out.
0:01:32 > 0:01:38And where the realities of modern Britain may be NOTHING like they expect...
0:01:38 > 0:01:43My family called me and asked what was happening in London?!
0:01:43 > 0:01:44It seemed a little bit scary.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47As they struggle to make a new life, who's here to stay,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51and who's on the next plane home?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11The Hungarian city of Bekescaba may be over 1,000 miles from Blighty.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But that doesn't stop one of its residents being obsessed
0:02:14 > 0:02:16with all things British.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22The British flag means for me my dreams.
0:02:22 > 0:02:2624-year-old Norbert is planning a new life away from Hungary.
0:02:28 > 0:02:35I dream about many days, many weeks that I will be in Britain.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40I will get a job, a good salary,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44good friends and a good environment.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48As much as Norbert loves Britain, he'd prefer to be able to
0:02:48 > 0:02:51stay with his mum, dad and grandma in their rural house.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54But he needs a job.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57And he knows he can earn a lot more in the UK
0:02:57 > 0:03:01than he would staying at home. Especially with his language skills.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Norbert will miss his family
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and perhaps his collection of animals even more.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27But the time has come to follow his dream.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39He's travelling to Britain to find work as a German translator.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41And in his pocket, his savings of £500.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45It would take him two and a half months to earn that as an interpreter back home.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52I hope it will be very exciting, because London is a great city
0:03:52 > 0:03:55and this city is waiting on me to explore it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I am expecting so much from this trip, maybe it will be
0:04:03 > 0:04:06the best years of my life.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Norbert is one of 35,000 Eastern Europeans
0:04:10 > 0:04:13who come to live in Britain every year.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17And around two thirds of those come from just one country - Poland...
0:04:18 > 0:04:23..where in the city of Lublin two and a half hours from the capital,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26someone else is getting ready to leave.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31It's one of Poland's poorest cities, and in one of its many tower blocks,
0:04:31 > 0:04:3424-year-old Anna is having some last minute nerves.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41I was stressed when I realised that I was leaving for good.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47I couldn't sleep at night for a few nights in a row.
0:04:48 > 0:04:55I hope I won't be packing all night, but it is possible.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I am travelling to England,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02because it is really easy to go there and find job and live.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07There you don't have to worry about they won't let you in.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Anna's successfully completed a masters degree in Sociology,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15but even so, still sees her prospects as much better in the UK.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18England is more exciting, because it's a different.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20I don't want to end up in the same city,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23in the same country in 50 years time.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Before she sets off,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30it's time to say goodbye to her family.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Anna's travelling on one of the 20 buses
0:05:40 > 0:05:43carrying Polish immigrants to Britain every day.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50And she'd better get comfortable,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52because her journey will take her 27 hours.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I am excited of course.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03Leaving everything behind me is a little bit sad.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I will miss my family and friends.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Now everything, will change.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Most Poles arriving in the UK are aged between 18 and 35.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26And in London another is already settling in.
0:06:26 > 0:06:2918 year Antoni has just finished school,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and it's his first time living away from home.
0:06:32 > 0:06:38I've lived with my parents my whole life so it's a big deal for me and for my parents as well.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44We all miss each other. I feel a little bit lost here.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Antoni's travelled to England from his family's flat in Warsaw.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58He's been offered a place at the prestigious Oxford University.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00But his parents can't afford to support him,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02so he's come over to find a job to raise the cash.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08You know Oxford has been my dream for a really long time
0:07:08 > 0:07:12and I feel so close to making this dream come true
0:07:12 > 0:07:19and to think that it might just go away for financial reasons
0:07:19 > 0:07:20seems really unfair.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24My mother was joking all the time that she would sell her kidney
0:07:24 > 0:07:26so that I could go to Oxford.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31It was a little bit scary, I didn't like these jokes.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Before looking for work, Antoni had to sort out somewhere to live.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40And with very little money, he hasn't got a lot of choice.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43He's living in Edmonton, one of the most deprived parts of London.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45And he's sharing a small room with three other Poles.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Antoni sleeps on the floor.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52There is only one room and two of us sleep on the bed,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56we take the pillows from the couch and put them
0:07:56 > 0:07:59on the floor and two of us sleep on the floor.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02It's like really, really poor.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06When I came to this apartment, it was like such a mess,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09the sink was out of order, there was food scraps in it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16My priority is to have the lowest rent possible, so I was prepared.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20But he's sharing with more than just his fellow countrymen.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23The room is infested with bedbugs.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26You can't sleep at night worrying about these little bastards
0:08:26 > 0:08:31sucking your blood and once you wake up and see several dozen bites,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33you start to worry.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Also starting to worry is Hungarian Norbert.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Hello, my name is Norbert and I am looking for accommodation.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Like many optimistic new arrivals,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49he's come to London WITHOUT arranging a place to live.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50It's already gone.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53And he's having no joy finding anywhere.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Hello, my name is Norbert and I'm looking for a room to let.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It's gone. OK. Thank you.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05It isn't so easy to find accommodation as I thought.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10I want to rent just a room, about £65 a week.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14With the average London rent £250 a week,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Norbert's £500 isn't going to go very far.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21It is much more expensive than I expected.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24I don't have enough money to pay the rent
0:09:24 > 0:09:28and two weeks or sometimes three weeks deposit,
0:09:28 > 0:09:33but I heard there is a free kitchen in London that I can eat free.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Maybe I will go there.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41Luckily for Norbert,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44there are 35,000 Hungarians living in Britain.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47And one of them is his friend Tibor.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Tibor has lived in Britain for three years,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59so knows what Norbert's up against.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01He must have a lot of money.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05He needs to pay his rent and that is not cheap.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11And if he doesn't work, he'll have to go back,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14so that's why important to find very early job.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Tibor has allowed Norbert to sleep on his sofa,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25but the landlord won't let him stay long.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I have to find some accommodation,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35because I don't want to sleep on the streets as a homeless.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Anna's decided that London's too big for her, so has based herself
0:10:44 > 0:10:47in Nottingham, where there's a large Polish population.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53But it's a stark contrast to her home back in Poland.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55This area where I'm living now.
0:10:55 > 0:11:03This place is quite different from my old place of living.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06My first impression was that the streets are busy
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and loud and noisy.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14In Poland I used to live in one of the most peaceful
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and quiet neighbourhood.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Whereas here in Nottingham,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Nottingham was once the city of the highest
0:11:20 > 0:11:23shooting rate in the whole UK.
0:11:24 > 0:11:31So I must admit that I felt safer in my home town.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40It was in 2004 when the EU expanded into Eastern Europe,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43that the influx of immigrants to Britain began.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49But in the last few years, it's got tougher for eastern Europeans
0:11:49 > 0:11:52trying to start new lives in the UK.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Over 300,000 of them have returned to their home countries.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05So charities have now sprung up to support the new arrivals.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08One of them, ISS, has started organising
0:12:08 > 0:12:10regular bus tours to give them a Great British day out
0:12:10 > 0:12:15and help them understand what their new country is REALLY like.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Norbert, Antoni
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and Anna have all been invited on board three of these trips.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Today is the first.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29So as they set off what do they make of Britain so far?
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Britain - crappy weather and why are you driving cars on
0:12:33 > 0:12:37the left hand side of the street? I don't understand it.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I'm surprised at how many Poles,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46and how strong the polish community in Britain is.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I drink Polish beer, because it's available in every grocery store.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53It's not only the Polish beer that the immigrants prefer.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Norbert's not too keen on the British ladies.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58I don't really like English womens.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00This is the German shape, this is the Hungarian shape,
0:13:00 > 0:13:05this is a Polish shape and this is the English shape!
0:13:05 > 0:13:06HE LAUGHS
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Joining our trio on the bus today are two more immigrants
0:13:14 > 0:13:18fresh to the UK. Lovebirds Mario and Michaela,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20cuddled up on the back seat.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Hello, my name is Michaela. - Nice to meet you.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- Where are you from? - I am from Poland.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Mario and Michaela have recently arrived
0:13:28 > 0:13:32from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to set up home together in London.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Right now Britain is lovely, beautiful and awesome
0:13:39 > 0:13:41so hopefully it's going to stay like that.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44No wonder Michaela's smiling.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Because the couple have never lived in the same country before.
0:13:48 > 0:13:55At home we didn't live together and we had to travel 500km,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I don't know every second, third week or month.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03Here we want to start a new life and finally live together.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Today's bus trip is to a theme park in Milton Keynes,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16so the immigrants can see how the Brits have fun.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I thought I'd be soaking, but I'm only wet,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28so it's not as bad as I thought it would be!
0:14:28 > 0:14:30And in 21st century Britain,
0:14:30 > 0:14:35it's not just the rides that give the new arrivals a shock.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39It's incredible how many Muslim people are here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40I've never seen so many.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46You can hardly see any white English people, there are only immigrants.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50It isn't only the mix of cultures they're finding hard to digest.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52British food is not so healthy.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56The sliced bread in England is really awful, it seems
0:14:56 > 0:15:04so artificial, like it's full of chemicals which make it look pretty,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08but it tastes like paper.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14All five have come to Britain because they believe
0:15:14 > 0:15:18it offers the prospect of better jobs and opportunities.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21But now they've left their homes and families behind,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23does the gamble seem worth it?
0:15:23 > 0:15:27When I first came to Nottingham,
0:15:27 > 0:15:33it was 19 person in six-bedroom house.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- SHE LAUGHS - 19?- 19, yes. Three people per room.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Where we come from, I don't know if it's underdeveloped or
0:15:41 > 0:15:46developed more, but I haven't heard about bed bugs in Warsaw.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And here in this lousy flat in Edmonton,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54there is a rash all over me, little bastards.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56We live in a great place
0:15:56 > 0:16:00and it costs £550 per month. We are living with black people,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03but we don't really mind, because they are really friendly.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07The new arrivals have been inspired by hearing tales of the thousands
0:16:07 > 0:16:12of eastern Europeans who've already successfully settled here.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17I see my friends who came here five years ago
0:16:17 > 0:16:22and when they started, they were working in a warehouses,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and now they have much better jobs, they are buying houses.
0:16:26 > 0:16:32In Poland, after five years, you can't afford to but a house.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Norbert's obsession with all things all British
0:16:34 > 0:16:38leads him to make one last observation of the day.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43There is a lot of truth about Britain in that series,
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Little Britain. The British women have the mood like Vicky Pollard.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52I dunno, I dunno, I dunno, I dunno! It wasn't me!
0:16:52 > 0:16:56It's the end of today's trip.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59The immigrants are due back on the bus in two weeks time.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02But how many of them will still be here?
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Or by then, could some have already given up on their British dreams
0:17:07 > 0:17:08and be heading back to Mum and Dad?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Many immigrants who come to Britain don't last the first month.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24But Norbert is determined to make it his home.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26He's eventually found somewhere to live.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30And he can split the cost by sharing with fellow Hungarian, Atilla,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32who he knows from home.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39With the rent paid, it's time to get settled.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43But before they can MAKE the bed they've got to fix it.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44I'm stuck in here.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48To save cash, the boys will be sleeping together,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52but Norbert is keen to lay down some ground rules.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56If I get a woman, a girl, he has to go.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00The living room is a common place, there is a couch.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05If he find a girl, he will go downstairs with the girl.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It won't be a problem.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12But Norbert's got bigger problems than meeting the opposite sex.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14His money is quickly running out.
0:18:19 > 0:18:26I don't have much money. Around £100, £100 maybe a little bit less.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I have to find a good job,
0:18:29 > 0:18:34because if this £100 gone, I also gone.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43It's been a week since Mario and Michaela
0:18:43 > 0:18:47left their home countries to move to London.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51- I am very excited to live together with my boyfriend finally. - Me too, absolutely.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53In this city, I love London already.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57But it isn't just love that's brought them here.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01We came here also to improve our acting.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06We started acting in Czech and we really fell in love with it.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10There are really many good acting classes here
0:19:10 > 0:19:16- and want to improve that and maybe something...- Will happen, who knows?
0:19:18 > 0:19:21With dreams of being the next Brad and Angelina,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24the couple chose Britain, because they believe
0:19:24 > 0:19:26it has some of the best drama teachers in Europe.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30And that's why they've given up everything to move here.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34I was used to quite a high standard in my parents' house
0:19:34 > 0:19:38and here now we have almost nothing, we have two bags
0:19:38 > 0:19:41and that's our whole life now, so that's a bit sad about this thing.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I came here because I wanted to try something new
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and I'm prepared to start from zero.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I can't be a small daddy's girl forever!
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Having to come to terms with
0:19:55 > 0:19:59a drop in their standard of living isn't the only shock to the system.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02They've moved to the London suburb of Leyton,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05one of most multicultural parts of Britain.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09This area is a bit different from home.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Absolutely it's different. From where I come from,
0:20:12 > 0:20:18we don't have so many multicultural people in my town.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21It's the same in my country in the Czech Republic,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23all over, it's just white people.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28I will have to get use to it, that's all.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38In Nottingham, Anna is looking for a job.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43And with all her qualifications, she's after a good one.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Hello, I would like to register with your agency.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- Have you got your CV with you? - Yes, I have.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57Have a look at that. I'll pass it through to the consultant
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- and see if they can help you.- OK. Thank you.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02I haven't been thinking what would happen
0:21:02 > 0:21:08if I don't get a job, because I don't think it's possible.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12I am pretty confident of finding something,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15because I don't see myself doing some warehouse job.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Anna's expecting her working conditions
0:21:21 > 0:21:24to be better than those she's left behind in Poland.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28People in Poland they have to work harder
0:21:28 > 0:21:33and longer to reach the same level of richness.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Here people don't have to work 12 hours to make ends meet.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42Of course Poland is not a third world country,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47but it's not as rich as the western European countries.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51And the money is why, despite the global recession,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Eastern European migrants still see Britain
0:21:54 > 0:21:58as their number one destination. It's why Norbert came.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02But getting a job isn't as easy as he'd expected.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06My name is Norbert and I've seen the vacancy on the window.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Have you done this kind of job before?
0:22:09 > 0:22:14- No, not yet.- I would like to see your CV,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- then I can tell you if you're suitable for this job or not.- OK.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21- Thank you. - Norbert has already spent over £300
0:22:21 > 0:22:25on his accommodation, leaving him with little money left to buy food.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27He needs to find a job fast.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- Do you have vacancies?- You can leave your CV if you want.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36- We will call you if we need somebody.- Thank you.- Bye.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43- Hello.- Hello.- Yeah, we are looking for some jobs.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- We are quite busy right now. - Quite busy. OK.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Things are getting desperate for Norbert.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54Everywhere he goes, it's the same answer. No experience - no job.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59I am tired and hungry, because I haven't eaten quite well
0:22:59 > 0:23:02in the morning, because I don't have enough money
0:23:02 > 0:23:03to buy enough food for me.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08I just tried to share one bread for two or three days.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13I already lose three kilo or more of my weight.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18It's not so funny. It's not funny at all.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Norbert and Atilla have being pounding the streets looking for work for days.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27And after yet another knock-back, Norbert's patience is ready to snap.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29There is nothing at the moment.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I wanted to be just a German speaker, because I speak German.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Show me any Britain people, any England people
0:23:35 > 0:23:39who can speak another language, not just English!
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I speak English, Hungarian, German and French
0:23:42 > 0:23:46and I can't find a job as a street cleaner or a station cleaner,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50but no previous experience, you can't find a job.
0:23:50 > 0:23:56My feelings is broken, it's in the bin, the huge England bin.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57I'm totally...
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Norbert is a little bit angry now.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Me too, because we were a lot
0:24:05 > 0:24:10of restaurants and we get a lot of CV,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13but nowhere to get a job.
0:24:13 > 0:24:19I came here leaving back Hungary, I spent lot of money to get here,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23to get a job, new life, but what is it?
0:24:23 > 0:24:27The whole life is in a big toilet called Britain.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Oxford University hopeful Antoni hasn't found a job either.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47He hasn't earned a penny in the two weeks he's been in Britain.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And without work, he can't afford to start his course.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56I'm a little bit pessimistic about the job opportunities here.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01I don't know for how long I will have to send out CVs by email
0:25:01 > 0:25:05or walk around the area, but it might take some time.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12But there IS one last option he may have to consider.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15His Polish flat mates are all rickshaw riders,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19earning good money taking tourists round the sights of London.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23The most I've earned on the rickshaws in one night was 250.
0:25:23 > 0:25:29I earned in five hours so £50 per hour it's a really good wage.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35I really earn more than my own father which is like...
0:25:35 > 0:25:37HE LAUGHS
0:25:37 > 0:25:42come on, I'm 18 with no significant experience at work,
0:25:42 > 0:25:47not really well educated, no university graduation
0:25:47 > 0:25:51and I am really able to make better money than my own father,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53which is great.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57But earning that kind of cash doesn't come without risks.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Rickshaw riders have been involved in many accidents,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02most of them with taxi drivers who accuse them
0:26:02 > 0:26:04of stealing their business. It's war.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10They're dangerous and they're a danger to the public, aren't they?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I've seen them colliding, I've seen them
0:26:13 > 0:26:16coming straight across lights and have accidents with other vehicles.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I've seen them... buses, colliding with buses.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21These blokes come from goodness knows where,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23put a young lady in the back, you don't know the character
0:26:23 > 0:26:27of the gentleman driving it! You don't where he's come from!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So far, the dangers of driving the rickshaws have scared Antoni off.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33But with the start of term fast approaching,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36he's having to weigh up the risks.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38I treat it as like the last option.
0:26:39 > 0:26:45I'm not sure if I'm prepared to work in a stressful
0:26:45 > 0:26:49environment like this, but if I don't find a job until the 28th,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51because then I have to pay the rent.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55I will have to take the rickshaw job and we'll see how it goes.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Budding actors Mario and Michaela
0:27:02 > 0:27:06are also struggling to find work to pay for their acting classes.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09But today, Mario has an opportunity for a job
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and is taking a day's trial as a waiter.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- Good luck, sweetheart!- Thank you!
0:27:15 > 0:27:17It's a real change for Mario.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21He's more used to being a company executive in the family's business.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I can't say I really wanted to do this job,
0:27:24 > 0:27:31but it is a job I can get most easily.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36As soon as I get a job I can start focusing on acting,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38I can start search for acting classes.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42That's why I want to get a job as soon as possible.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Yeah, I can say I am pretty confident today.
0:27:50 > 0:27:56Mario's trial is in one of the best restaurants in London.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59How will he cope with the demands of some of Britain poshest diners?
0:28:06 > 0:28:10To eat here? Quite expensive.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16In a few years, maybe I will be able to afford to eat here. Who knows!
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Mario won't be EATING here for a while
0:28:20 > 0:28:24and if he isn't careful, he won't be working here either.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Just when you come out, you stop over here.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Not stop, but just look up, because
0:28:30 > 0:28:33if he go like come up and doesn't stop, he will bump you
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and you will flop it.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40The manager doesn't think he's getting any better.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44- You make a mistake, all the time. - Yes, I know what you mean.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47After a telling off, he's feeling deflated.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53My last job, I was working as a managing director.
0:28:53 > 0:28:59This feels like a step back and not forward.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07It's been a long, tough day.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10And at the end of it, he finds out that he HASN'T got the job.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17I was a little bit counting with this position.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21I want to start acting lessons as soon as possible.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25I need to have a job when I want to start it,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29and also we're running out of money now at the moment.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39But things are looking up for Norbert.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43He's finally got an interview with a language agency.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45It could be his first step to fulfilling his dream
0:29:45 > 0:29:47of becoming an interpreter.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Trouble is - he's been asked to come smartly dressed.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56It's not typical interview dress but maybe they will understand
0:29:56 > 0:29:58because I don't have money to buy new clothes.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I think it doesn't matter how I look.
0:30:01 > 0:30:07If they need my knowledge, I could go in just underwear.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13My name is Norbert and I've got an appointment.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19If Norbert gets the job he'll be paid £12 an hour.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23A figure that would be considered a fortune back in Hungary.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26First up is the written test.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Norbert learned his languages from watching TV
0:30:30 > 0:30:34and written translation is not his strong point.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36It's very hard because
0:30:36 > 0:30:40it means carpet but I don't know how to say it in German.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43To speak is easier than writing.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47I'm stuck a little bit, just a little bit.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51He's more confident when it gets to the proper interview, but oh, dear...
0:30:51 > 0:30:54..it looks like his clothes ARE a bit of a problem.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Would you mind taking off your cap for the interview
0:30:58 > 0:31:01- because inside we don't wear them. - OK.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05It is very much about the first appearance.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Now would go to a job interview dressed like this.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11Exactly!
0:31:14 > 0:31:18It's an awkward start but soon Norbert is on a roll...
0:31:18 > 0:31:19THEY SPEAK GERMAN
0:31:24 > 0:31:27It seems his best just isn't good enough.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31I think the standard of his German is a bit lower than he thinks it is.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33It's not terrible
0:31:33 > 0:31:36but his German networking skills are not good enough to get a job
0:31:36 > 0:31:39where we expect somebody to be fluent in German
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and not for a translating role.
0:31:46 > 0:31:47It's a disaster for Norbert.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51His British dream was based on being a translator.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Has he finally run out of options?
0:32:03 > 0:32:07It's the weekend and time for another of the charity-run bus trips.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10This one is designed to give them a real slice of British culture.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13They're off to have a lovely day at the seaside, Essex style.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18So, of course, the skies are grey and its freezing cold.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26Today the group are being looked after by one of the charity's volunteers, Zak.
0:32:26 > 0:32:32He does these tours because he's passionate about helping immigrants settle into British life.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44And now the group's been here a couple of weeks, he's keen to know how they're doing.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48How you all finding the UK?
0:32:48 > 0:32:55It's good here but the weather is totally different.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59It's more cold here.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- Is Slovakia quite warm?- Yes.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08SONG: "Oh I Do Love To Be Beside The Seaside"
0:33:12 > 0:33:15With its Victorian pier and miles of sandy beaches,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Clacton-on-Sea in Essex is a classic English seaside resort.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26And its delights are a welcome distraction from the stresses of looking for work.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30The chips are really good,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33you know not like the ones you get in McDonalds.
0:33:33 > 0:33:39I would like to try it with the winegar you use to put on it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41- I haven't tried it yet.- Vinegar?
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Winegar, yeah.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48Ironically the fish and chips I had in Poland were better than this.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53But one of the eastern Europeans hasn't made the trip.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Norbert is back in London
0:33:55 > 0:33:59preparing a packed lunch for a journey of his own.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01After failing to get the translation job,
0:34:01 > 0:34:03he's reached the end of the road.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06His money's run out and he's heading home to Hungary.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09I came here full of hope, dreams, plans
0:34:09 > 0:34:15and now all of my hopes, dreams have gone.
0:34:15 > 0:34:21Now I am here making sandwiches for my journey to get back somehow.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Britain has given me nothing.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33Norbert's met plenty of other eastern Europeans while he's been here.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36And as he leaves, he meets one more.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41I'm going home now. I'm going back to Hungary.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44- Where are you from?- Romania.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48- Romania.- Are you hungry? - I'm from Hungary.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- Are you hungry? - No, I'm not, no.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53My friend.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Norbert's only got enough money left for a bus ticket to Dover.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02From there he hopes to hitch back to Hungary.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Norbert's British dream is now not in the bin but close to the bin
0:35:06 > 0:35:09and maybe one day I will come back.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Norbert is the first of the immigrants to leave.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20And back in Clacton, the rest of the group think he'd been unrealistic
0:35:20 > 0:35:23about what Britain has to offer.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26To me he seemed a bit immature.
0:35:26 > 0:35:32I'm not sure if he was ready to emigrate and get a job here.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35You have to behave somehow, you have to be professional.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37You have to behave like a professional.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41He maybe thought that everything's going to be really easy.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45If you decide to change your life and to come somewhere like London,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48it's not going to easy at all. He wasn't well prepared.
0:35:48 > 0:35:54He thought that £500 is enough and it's not.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Bus tour guide Zack has seen it all before.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Groups that have come to the UK maybe thought the streets were paved with gold,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05that there were going to be a lot more economic opportunities,
0:36:05 > 0:36:09that they would be able to get jobs that they couldn't get back home.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13There's been a harsh reality that those jobs haven't been available to them.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18They're struggling to live here and sometimes face worse conditions than they did in their own countries.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Taking Norbert's seat on the bus is a new arrival.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Irina from the Russian Federation of Siberia.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30Are you from Moscow?
0:36:30 > 0:36:32No, Siberia.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34It's the middle of Russia.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39And while Norbert had no plan, Irina is completely the opposite.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43She's left her executive job as a concert promoter to pursue a single dream in Britain.
0:36:44 > 0:36:51I came to Britain from Russia because I want to get a job in the company of my dreams.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55I chose the biggest company in the world
0:36:55 > 0:37:00who operate such concerts.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04I would really love to work at this company.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08The other immigrants have some essential survival tips.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12You have to be careful with whom you want to trust
0:37:12 > 0:37:16and with whom you are going to speak.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20That's probably the most important advice.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24If you want to buy cheap food, go to Asda.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27THEY LAUGH
0:37:31 > 0:37:34A spin on the fairground ride is the best way to get to know
0:37:34 > 0:37:37her new friends and also her new country.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40It's a little bit scary.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50But while the group can enjoy British places and do British things,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53there are British people who'll always resent them being here,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55accusing them of stealing British jobs
0:37:55 > 0:37:58and angry that after three months,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00many are entitled to benefits.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02In Clacton, and the rest of the UK,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05some locals feel it's as if the country has been invaded.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07There was hundreds here at one stage.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Especially Poles weren't there?
0:38:11 > 0:38:13I don't think they should be here.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16You don't see with other countries like Australia
0:38:16 > 0:38:22and you don't see them in boats turning up with 200 weird people on it.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27They do work hard, but we should have kept them out.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30England is England, so it should just be English.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33I'm not ashamed of being an immigrant.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36I can't say I'm proud of it although maybe I should be.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41I wonder how many of the guys here would be able to go abroad,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44learn a different language, communicate in it freely.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49It's not easy. I think most of the British people don't really have an idea
0:38:49 > 0:38:53how difficult it is for immigrants.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57I also I think that the fact that people emigrate into the UK
0:38:57 > 0:39:01is sort of the compliment for the country, you know,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05because it means that they've got a nice country.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08It's the end of today's day out.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12By the time they board the bus for their next and final trip in three weeks,
0:39:12 > 0:39:17the group will need to have worked out if Britain is somewhere they really want to stay
0:39:17 > 0:39:19or if it can ever live up to their expectations.
0:39:25 > 0:39:2824-year-old Russian Irina
0:39:28 > 0:39:31has travelled 3,500 miles from Siberia to the UK.
0:39:32 > 0:39:38But as she arrived in the London borough of Lambeth it was all kicking off.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Riots were breaking out all over the country.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47And the flat she's moved into was right in the middle of the action.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Her flatmate filmed what was going on just outside the window.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Irina's come to Britain because she's determined to get a job
0:40:23 > 0:40:27with one of the world's biggest music promoters, Live Nation.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29She's so focused on working for them that she produced
0:40:29 > 0:40:32this unusual promo video for YouTube.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Hello, my name is Irina. I'm from Russia.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38I work as a concert promoter.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41For this reason I'd dearly love to work for Live Nation.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43But will it boost her chances?
0:40:43 > 0:40:47She'd contacted the company once before looking for work, and got nowhere.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51So now she's gambling everything on a trip to meet them face-to-face.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54They'd told her last time her English wasn't good enough.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57So she's invested hundreds of pounds in an intensive two-week
0:40:57 > 0:41:01English language course to get it up to scratch.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Keep answering questions right. Do whatever you need to do,
0:41:06 > 0:41:08but practise it the whole way through, once.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13Many immigrants coming to Britain can't speak English well enough to get a job.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18The government's planning to force some of them into classes like the one Irina's taking.
0:41:18 > 0:41:25Where to liven things up, they learn the lingo by role playing the TV series, Dragons' Den.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27- We can offer you just...- 30.- 30.
0:41:27 > 0:41:33It's more than we have offered, firstly. So... 30%.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37When do you think to reach your break even?
0:41:37 > 0:41:40We are going to break even in six months.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42APPLAUSE
0:41:42 > 0:41:45With the date of her meeting with Live Nation approaching,
0:41:45 > 0:41:50the teachers have offered her a mock job interview to see if she can cut it.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Why is it you want to work in the UK, why is it your dream?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57I want to work in the UK because I think that
0:41:57 > 0:42:02the UK and London is the capital of music,
0:42:02 > 0:42:06the music capital of the world.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09What would your place be within Live Nation?
0:42:11 > 0:42:15I think that I can help with the expansion into the Russian region.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20I haven't actually come across anybody quite like her.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25Not somebody who's come and decided just to do a minimal amount of English,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28before then embarking on
0:42:28 > 0:42:35something incredibly challenging and really having almost, some would say,
0:42:35 > 0:42:39a pie in a sky dream of working for this particular international company.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44But after two weeks of classes...
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Irina knows her English is still an issue.
0:43:12 > 0:43:17After three weeks in Britain, Antoni's still struggling for the cash he needs to get to Oxford.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22With his rent due the next day, it looks like his only choice is to join his roommates,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25and take his chances working on the rickshaws.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29No matter how much savings from Poland you bring here it's still too little.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32My priority should have been finding a job as soon as possible
0:43:32 > 0:43:36but I was looking for something probably too ambitious.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38I came here to save money for university.
0:43:38 > 0:43:45So, basically, I need to earn as much as possible, so the sooner I start the more I earn.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56But if he's going to earn the money to get him through university,
0:43:56 > 0:44:02Antoni will have to work long hours, day and night, competing for business with other rickshaws,
0:44:02 > 0:44:04not to mention the cab drivers.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08Excuse me, mademoiselle, would you like a lift somewhere?
0:44:08 > 0:44:0915?
0:44:11 > 0:44:12And after a shaky start it's not long
0:44:12 > 0:44:16before he picks up his first customers.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Antoni's on fire. Still new in town,
0:44:20 > 0:44:24he's used online maps to memorise the layout of London's West End.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27And it looks like its paying off.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34To Victoria station, £20 for a single rickshaw is the standard fare.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38- How much?- £10.- £10?
0:44:42 > 0:44:46It's been a long, but successful, first night for Antoni.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50It went much, much better than I expected.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54I mean, I was hoping to come back home with anything at all
0:44:54 > 0:44:57and I earned almost 100 quid,
0:44:57 > 0:45:00it's like overwhelming.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02It's probably more than I would make
0:45:02 > 0:45:06working in an office or anywhere else for minimum wage.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09After tonight, yeah,
0:45:09 > 0:45:13Oxford seems much closer than it seemed yesterday.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18But while Antoni pedals towards his goal...
0:45:21 > 0:45:27..aspiring actors Mario and Michaela are no closer to their big break.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30For me, it's a dream to become a professional actor.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Before I came here, my mum, she sent me an SMS
0:45:32 > 0:45:37that she's really proud of me that I've have the balls
0:45:37 > 0:45:41to go to and to try to achieve my dream, you know?
0:45:41 > 0:45:42Mario has now managed to get work as a waiter,
0:45:43 > 0:45:45and Michaela has a job in a shop.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48They're both working long hours,
0:45:48 > 0:45:53saving money for acting classes, and today is their first lesson.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56So, folks, if I could introduce you to Mario and Michaela,
0:45:56 > 0:45:59they're going to participate in the warm-up,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02and then they're going to see how the class works.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Beep, beep, beep, beep!
0:46:05 > 0:46:08ALL: Ah!
0:46:08 > 0:46:11Eee!
0:46:11 > 0:46:14That was a bit different than we were used in Prague.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17So, it was something new,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20and it was fun. It was probably much better than in Prague.
0:46:20 > 0:46:25Drama teacher Cat is keen to see Mario and Michaela perform.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29The only good thing about my friends is watching them get drunk.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31But she can't ignore something that over here
0:46:31 > 0:46:33she's sure will hold them back.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37At the moment, I would be concerned about the accent,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40because, realistically, people are going to notice the accent
0:46:40 > 0:46:42before they notice the character.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46So you would have to give them roles that reflected that accent.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49- Where do you live, Harper?- London.
0:46:49 > 0:46:55- It speaks! Whereabouts in London do you live?- Uxbridge.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59At the moment, there's nothing remarkably extraordinary
0:46:59 > 0:47:01about the acting I've seen.
0:47:01 > 0:47:02I haven't got a clue.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04I would feel they were too much of a risk
0:47:04 > 0:47:07if I was casting and about to take them on for a paid job.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11I have no guarantees, because of their limited experience.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Thank you very much again.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- OK, you're very welcome. Good luck. - Bye.- Bye-bye.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22In Nottingham, a month after she arrived,
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Anna has found herself a job -
0:47:24 > 0:47:27in the one place she didn't want to work.
0:47:27 > 0:47:28She came over from Poland,
0:47:28 > 0:47:32hoping to become a high-flying human-resources manager.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36But today, it's her first shift working in the warehouse.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42The work, it's basically packing things.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46You have to have these robotic moves, and act like a robot!
0:47:48 > 0:47:50After a month's here,
0:47:50 > 0:47:53I think I will have to go to a psychiatrist or something.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00Because when your work doesn't involve your brain,
0:48:00 > 0:48:04it will get you bored, yes.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12I am earning the minimum wage,
0:48:12 > 0:48:16so it's, like, almost £100 per week.
0:48:16 > 0:48:21It's not a good place to earn a lot of money,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24but it's better than having no job.
0:48:24 > 0:48:2980% of the people working in the factory are Eastern Europeans.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32With a reputation for working hard for low wages,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35they can be an attractive bet for employers.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39But this sort of work isn't why Anna came to Britain.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41It's like moving backwards.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44I have a masters degree, I have experience,
0:48:44 > 0:48:46and now I am doing the worst job I ever had.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51It's something sad, because a lot of Polish
0:48:51 > 0:48:58or Lithuanian, or a lot of people from Eastern Europe, from abroad,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00are coming to England
0:49:00 > 0:49:04and they have to do work beneath their qualifications.
0:49:04 > 0:49:09I will stay here until I get something better, yes.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21Today, Antoni is getting a taste of what life could be like.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24He is visiting the historic city of Oxford,
0:49:24 > 0:49:28home to one of the best universities in the world,
0:49:28 > 0:49:31and where he hopes to spend the next three years.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35I don't think I've ever been to such a beautiful place as Oxford.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38All the way from the bus stop to the college,
0:49:38 > 0:49:42I was smiling, like, a really broad smile on my face.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44This has been my dream for years.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46This is the place I want to be
0:49:46 > 0:49:50for the next few years, and possibly even longer.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Oxford is, like, probably the stereotype of England.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00British gentleman from, like, upper-class families,
0:50:00 > 0:50:045:00 teatime, there's the royal family -
0:50:04 > 0:50:06at Oxford you actually meet such people!
0:50:06 > 0:50:12- Generally, all the first years will come and eat dinner here.- Yeah.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15And all the professors go and eat dinner up on the high table.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Every now and then, if you're a student,
0:50:18 > 0:50:20you might get to eat on the high table,
0:50:20 > 0:50:22but it's pretty rare!
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Oxford is everything that Antoni had hoped,
0:50:31 > 0:50:34but being so close to the hallowed halls reminds him
0:50:34 > 0:50:37how much money he still needs to save.
0:50:38 > 0:50:44It will be really, really hard for me if I couldn't start living here
0:50:44 > 0:50:46and studying here in October.
0:50:48 > 0:50:53Cos it's, like, I already satisfied all the academic requirements.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59All I need is a few thousand pounds.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15It's time for the Eastern Europeans to meet up for their last bus trip.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18They've been in Britain for nearly two months,
0:51:18 > 0:51:21long enough to have learned exactly what it takes to survive
0:51:21 > 0:51:24as an immigrant living in Britain.
0:51:24 > 0:51:31Make a plan before you come here, and take a lot of money with you.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34Yeah, you have to be prepared not just with money,
0:51:34 > 0:51:36but you have to be prepared also
0:51:36 > 0:51:38what to expect and what can go wrong.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Today's bus journey is to a traditional farm.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48With most immigrants settling in cities,
0:51:48 > 0:51:51this trip gives them a chance to see rural Britain.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55I really like blackbirds.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59Hello!
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Come on, you can say that!
0:52:01 > 0:52:05But just like last time, someone is missing.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Irina is back in London, getting ready to go home.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Even after the intensive language course,
0:52:11 > 0:52:12her English wasn't good enough
0:52:12 > 0:52:14for her to get the job she'd been desperate for.
0:52:14 > 0:52:20I'm going home tomorrow, because nothing holds me in England now.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23I think there's no point in staying here,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26because I haven't got a job in Live Nation now.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31Back at the farm, the other immigrants aren't surprised.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33- Always, you have to have a plan B. - Yeah, that's true.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37I've been studying English for 15 years,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41and two weeks is definitely not enough, you know?
0:52:41 > 0:52:42That's two out of the group
0:52:42 > 0:52:46whose hopes for a new life in Britain have come to nothing.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53It's heartbreaking, but it's a fact of life at the moment in the UK
0:52:53 > 0:52:55that people who come for a better life,
0:52:55 > 0:52:59they can't get that job they really want, and they end up going home.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07The rest of the group haven't realised
0:53:07 > 0:53:09all their British dreams either.
0:53:09 > 0:53:15And they know that, to some people, they'll always be foreign.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Do you feel you could one day call this place home?
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- You can't really still... - Compare it with your real home.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23You can't still compare it with your real home.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34The immigrants usually tend to do the worst jobs.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38Basically, they do the jobs that people don't want to do
0:53:38 > 0:53:41because they would rather just claim benefits.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44The group are used to the fact that,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47whatever their talents, they may have to start at the bottom.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51But for some of them, things are starting to pick up.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58Antoni's been racing against the clock, working as rickshaw driver
0:53:58 > 0:54:01to earn enough cash to go to Oxford Uni. But the hard work has paid off,
0:54:01 > 0:54:06and he's earned enough to get him through his first term.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09It's been, like, a completely crazy summer, I'll never forget it.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11Coming over from Poland to Britain,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14moving out of home for the first time,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17making a living here, saving up money and now going to Oxford.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21It's like, you know, a breakthrough moment in my life.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Michaela and Mario may have jobs,
0:54:23 > 0:54:26but it's not the sort they're qualified for.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28I'm a shop assistant right now,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31which is not actually what I studied at university!
0:54:33 > 0:54:37But they're earning the money to keep up the acting lessons.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40And Michaela is starting to love her new multi-cultural world.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43The first time when we moved, I was really scared,
0:54:43 > 0:54:45because I could hardly see white people,
0:54:45 > 0:54:48it was just Muslims and black people everywhere.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50I was like, "Jesus, what am I doing here?"
0:54:50 > 0:54:54But somehow, it works, you know, that there are different cultures,
0:54:54 > 0:54:58there are British people, there are Muslims, and we are happy right now.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Anna is still doing long hours for the minimum wage in the warehouse,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07but she's started a part-time masters degree
0:55:07 > 0:55:10at Nottingham Trent University,
0:55:10 > 0:55:14and is more positive about her prospects in Britain
0:55:14 > 0:55:15than back home.
0:55:15 > 0:55:16I'm generally the kind of person
0:55:16 > 0:55:18who's always optimistic about the future!
0:55:20 > 0:55:25I moved from Poland, so I'm glad, because I'm somewhere else!
0:55:25 > 0:55:27So I am glad, yeah.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31As they board the bus for the last time,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33these four immigrants have no plans to leave.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35And over the next weeks and months,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38tens of thousands more Eastern Europeans will join them.
0:55:38 > 0:55:42I think Britain is the promised land for all of us!
0:55:42 > 0:55:46If it wouldn't be, then we wouldn't be here, of course!
0:55:46 > 0:55:49I think we're all ready to work as hard as possible
0:55:49 > 0:55:52to achieve what we came here for.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54And we will get it, I strongly believe that.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Some will, but thousands more will find
0:55:58 > 0:56:01Britain isn't the country they'd hoped.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04While the bus takes these immigrants back to their new lives,
0:56:04 > 0:56:09first to leave Norbert is back where he started, in Hungary.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14I came to Britain with hope, hope for a new life, a new start.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17I am very disappointed.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20It seems Britain let me down.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:56:47 > 0:56:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk