In contributing to the debate about the effects of neoliberalism in post-socialist countries on East– West migration, the paper suggests that not only neoliberal policies, but also accompanying them emergent ideal of a neoliberal citizen, has influenced different aspects of these migrations. It looks at a category of Polish migrants in the UK for whom work abroad is a pursuit of inclusion in a community of value built around this ideal. In this way, the article reveals a new dimension to the role of the sending country and how its economy and ideologies shape and affect migrants’ choices and practices.