I woke up today feeling anxious. Anxious because I know that my future in this country is at stake. All the plans I had for a life in Britain, the hopes that I came here with and matured as I settled in, are on hold. But as I write this, I know there is nothing I can do apart from wait. The House of Lords are voting on an amendment to decide whether three million EU migrants can stay in the UK. They will decide whether we’ll become the bargaining chip Theresa May wants us to be.

Over the past year, my life in the UK has been the subject of a heated debate. Time and again I have heard politicians, journalists and activists talk about the economic and social benefits of leaving or remaining in the EU, citing different sets of cold, alienating statistics. The one thing I hardly ever heard in the media was people like me, for whom this isn’t about numbers or abstract economic models, but the lives we lead every day.

Sir John Major criticises Theresa May's Brexit strategy

I spent much of last year campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU. I knocked on doors, gave out flyers and spoke at a rally organised by young people in Trafalgar Square. But when it came to the day of the referendum, all I could do was sit back because I didn’t have a vote. I asked friends to vote for me and trusted that some of them would. I kept refreshing Twitter every couple of minutes, feeling a new sense of optimism or despair with every bit of news. On the bus home from a results party I attended, I couldn’t help but wonder who on the carriage voted to get rid of people like me.

I came over to the UK from Poland in 2012 to study and build a life, but five years later and I find myself powerless. Left out of the conversation and watching other people make decisions about my future. This is why I am involved in organising Take Back Control events across the country. Because the desire for control isn’t confined to die hard Ukip supporters, but is a desire that cuts across the whole of society. For migrants, taking back control is not about asserting our national identity, but having a voice in the country we call home. Not just in debates about whether we’re allowed to stay, but in every decision that affects our lives.

How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Show all 8 1 /8 How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Weetabix Chief executive of Weetabix Giles Turrell has warned that the price of one of the nation’s favourite breakfast are likely to go up this year by low-single digits in percentage terms. Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Nescafé The cost of a 100g jar of Nescafé Original at Sainsbury’s has gone up 40p from £2.75 to £3.15 – a 14 per cent rise—since the Brexit vote. PA How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Freddo When contacted by The Independent this month, a Mondelez spokesperson declined to discuss specific brands but confirmed that there would be "selective" price increases across its range despite the American multi-national confectionery giant reporting profits of $548m (£450m) in its last three-month financial period. Mondelez, which bought Cadbury in 2010, said rising commodity costs combined with the slump in the value of the pound had made its products more expensive to make. Cadbury How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Mr Kipling cakes Premier Foods, the maker of Mr Kipling and Bisto gravy, said that it was considering price rises on a case-by-case basis Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Walkers Crisps Walkers, owned by US giant PepsiCo, said "the weakened value of the pound" is affecting the import cost of some of its materials. A Walkers spokesman told the Press Association that a 32g standard bag was set to increase from 50p to 55p, and the larger grab bag from 75p to 80p. Getty How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Marmite Tesco removed Marmite and other Unilever household brand from its website last October, after the manufacturer tried to raise its prices by about 10 per cent owing to sterling’s slump. Tesco and Unilever resolved their argument, but the price of Marmite has increased in UK supermarkets with the grocer reporting a 250g jar of Marmite will now cost Morrisons’ customers £2.64 - an increase of 12.5 per cent. Rex How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Toblerone Toblerone came under fire in November after it increased the space between the distinctive triangles of its bars. Mondelez International, the company which makes the product, said the change was made due to price rises in recent months. Pixabay How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Maltesers Maltesers, billed as the “lighter way to enjoy chocolate”, have also shrunk in size. Mars, which owns the brand, has reduced its pouch weight by 15 per cent. Mars said rising costs mean it had to make the unenviable decision between increasing its prices or reducing the weight of its Malteser packs. iStockphoto

Just like British citizens, migrants are routinely denied access to stable, decent quality housing. We suffer the same low paid, precarious, zero hours cycle of dead end work. We also lose out when the Conservatives assault our NHS and public services. We too grow angry when corporations refuse to pay tax and ordinary people have to cough up instead. Taking back control isn’t a zero sum game. Migrants gaining power doesn’t mean it has to be taken away from British citizens, because so many of the issues we face are the same.

Despite my anxiety about today’s vote, I know that taking back real control means migrants and British citizens doing more than casting a vote, but working alongside each other, in our communities, together.