Brexit Led To More Hate Crimes, Says Polish Ambassador

31 August 2016, 17:18 | Updated: 12 September 2016, 12:40

The Polish Ambassador to the United Kingdom has spoken of a rise in hate crimes against the Polish community in the wake of the Brexit vote.

It comes after 40-year-old Arkadiusz Jozwik died from head injuries sustained in an attack in Harlow, Essex, in what police say could be a hate crime murder.

Speaking with Shelagh Fogarty, Polish Ambassador Arkady Rzegocki says there was a noted rise in reports of such crimes after 23 June.

“Unfortunately our consulate followed the situation after Brexit, and we noted there were more [hate crime] situations.”

“Fortunately there weren’t too many - only 15 or 16.”

Rzegocki was only on the second day of his mission to the UK when Arkadiusz Jozwik died.

“We thought that the situation was improving nowadays, but unfortunately yesterday there was this possible hate crime.”