▁the ▁repet itive ▁big ▁lie ▁technique ▁to ▁deg rade ▁Pol es . ▁The ▁play ▁called ▁“ Pol ish ▁Jo ke ” ▁by ▁David ▁I ves ▁has ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁compla ints ▁by ▁the ▁Pol onia ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁The ▁" Pol ish ▁j okes " ▁heard ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁were ▁particularly ▁off ensive , ▁so ▁much ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁Polish ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁approached ▁the ▁U . S . ▁State ▁Department ▁about ▁that , ▁however ▁un success fully . ▁The ▁synd rome ▁re ced ed ▁only ▁after ▁Card inal ▁Kar ol ▁Woj ty ła ▁was ▁elected ▁Pope , ▁and ▁Polish ▁j okes ▁became ▁pass é . ▁Grad ually , ▁Americans ▁have ▁developed ▁a ▁more ▁positive ▁image ▁of ▁their ▁Polish ▁neighb ors ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁a ▁German ▁speaker ▁claimed ▁during ▁the ▁European ▁Aqu at ics ▁Championships , ▁that ▁the ▁Polish ▁team ▁would ▁be ▁coming ▁back ▁home ▁in ▁" our ▁cars ". ▁ ▁Today ▁ ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁Since ▁the ▁EU ▁en larg ement ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁where ▁ten ▁new ▁countries ▁joined ▁in ▁the ▁single - larg est ▁expansion ▁to ▁date ▁( Cy pr us , ▁Czech ▁Republic , ▁Est onia , ▁Hung ary , ▁Lat via , ▁Lith u ania , ▁Mal ta , ▁Poland , ▁Slov ak ia ▁and ▁Sloven ia ), ▁the ▁UK ▁has ▁experienced ▁mass ▁imm igration ▁from ▁Poland ▁( see ▁Pol es ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ).