L | A (Translated with ChatGPT)
By Jarosław Janecki
Managing the migration process is one of the key issues from both a security perspective and for stable economic growth. These priorities do not have to be contradictory, as we discussed during the debate 'Migration—problem or challenge for Poland?' part of the 'The Economy Has a Voice 2024' series.
The issue of migration has recently sparked a great deal of emotion. This is partly due to the visa scandal and concerns about the uncontrolled influx of immigrants into Poland. Additional emotions were stirred by Poland's announcement to suspend asylum rights.
Poland needs a migration strategy to sustain rapid development despite deteriorating demographics. Demographic and economic processes mean that we cannot close ourselves off to economic migrants. Their influx is one of the factors alleviating the shortage of workers.
We discuss this in the report by the Polish Economic Society, 'Migration Policy - International Experiences and Recommendations for Poland,' which was part of a broader study by Employers of Poland titled 'Migration - A Salvation for the Economy and Social Benefits.'
Together with Dr. Dorota Kałuża-Kopias, Dr. Kamila Schöll-Mazurek, and Dr. Olena Shelest-Szumilas, we emphasize that in the coming years, the Polish labor market will need an influx of new workers.
Without radical actions, between 2025 and 2030, immigration may reduce the workforce deficit by only 20-30 percent (it is worth noting that the sectors experiencing this deficit are dominated by men). The competition for workers in the Eastern European region is increasing, and the labor resources from this area are becoming increasingly limited.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Poland has transformed from a country people left to a country that welcomes immigrants. This fact is a result of the geopolitical situation and a fortunate coincidence that a few years earlier, the PO-PSL government allowed foreign seasonal workers in agriculture from six countries close to Poland to work based on declarations of entrusting work to foreigners.
This system has led to extraordinarily high employment rates of Ukrainian migrants in Poland. Without their influx, the Polish labor market would have faced serious difficulties, including a greater economic slowdown.
Ukrainians represent a specific group of immigrants who choose to work in Poland not only for economic reasons. The similarity of languages is also important, allowing for communication after just a few weeks, along with geographical proximity, which facilitates more frequent contact with family.
Of course, higher wages compared to those in Ukraine and simplified regulations that allow for easier access to the labor market also play a significant role.
However, we do not know what decisions this group of workers will make in the future, especially once the war ends. This is important because, on a global scale, our country is not an attractive destination for immigrants.
In this year's UN demographic projection, Poland is projected to have a negative migration balance by 2100—more of our compatriots will emigrate than immigrants will settle here. From the perspective of many, Poland often serves as a transit country, and interest in working here mainly comes from individuals with lower demands. Therefore, we need a wise migration policy that will help us compete for migrants.
Keep in mind that migration processes have a certain inertia, which means that the effects of actions taken are visible with a delay, and full control over them is challenging.
Therefore, actions within the framework of migration policy should consider three perspectives: that of the immigrant, the country receiving immigrants, and finally, the perspective of entrepreneurs. Reconciling these three viewpoints is difficult, but achievable in the long run.
To effectively manage migration, we must undertake many actions, but at the very beginning, reliable information is essential. It is necessary to collect credible data about immigrants. This is why steps are being taken toward integrating databases.
A key element is also the integration policy for immigrants into society. Closing ourselves off to their influx is not realistic, nor is it in our interest due to demographic processes and future changes in the labor market. Unfortunately, until now, we have faced a lack of a coherent integration policy. The actions taken have been fragmented and focused on individual aspects of migration.
Integrating immigrants with local communities involves access to public services, education, and healthcare—on fair, not preferential, terms. We should not overlook issues such as funding for Polish language courses or establishing clear procedures and conditions for obtaining citizenship.
Local governments should play an important role in integration, although this raises questions about their proper financing. Migration policy should aim to transform short-term migration into long-term migration, which would promote family reunification and change immigrants' mindset from temporary work to permanent residency.
Such a policy would be beneficial from the perspective of employers, as immigrants, having the assurance that they will remain in Poland permanently, would have a strong incentive to invest in the skills needed in our economy.
Instead of mimicking the migration policies of other countries or completely shutting ourselves off from immigrants, Poland should seek constructive solutions, including increasing the transparency of visa policy and supporting employers in recruiting specialists.
Some of the proposed solutions have been outlined in the previously mentioned report as well as during the TEP and 'Rzeczpospolita' debate, 'Migration – Problem or Challenges for Poland?'. The topic of migration policy evokes many emotions, but a well-planned migration management process can bring benefits in terms of both security and stable economic growth.
By Jarosław Janecki
Managing the migration process is one of the key issues from both a security perspective and for stable economic growth. These priorities do not have to be contradictory, as we discussed during the debate 'Migration—problem or challenge for Poland?' part of the 'The Economy Has a Voice 2024' series.
The issue of migration has recently sparked a great deal of emotion. This is partly due to the visa scandal and concerns about the uncontrolled influx of immigrants into Poland. Additional emotions were stirred by Poland's announcement to suspend asylum rights.
Poland needs a migration strategy to sustain rapid development despite deteriorating demographics. Demographic and economic processes mean that we cannot close ourselves off to economic migrants. Their influx is one of the factors alleviating the shortage of workers.
We discuss this in the report by the Polish Economic Society, 'Migration Policy - International Experiences and Recommendations for Poland,' which was part of a broader study by Employers of Poland titled 'Migration - A Salvation for the Economy and Social Benefits.'
Together with Dr. Dorota Kałuża-Kopias, Dr. Kamila Schöll-Mazurek, and Dr. Olena Shelest-Szumilas, we emphasize that in the coming years, the Polish labor market will need an influx of new workers.
Without radical actions, between 2025 and 2030, immigration may reduce the workforce deficit by only 20-30 percent (it is worth noting that the sectors experiencing this deficit are dominated by men). The competition for workers in the Eastern European region is increasing, and the labor resources from this area are becoming increasingly limited.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Poland has transformed from a country people left to a country that welcomes immigrants. This fact is a result of the geopolitical situation and a fortunate coincidence that a few years earlier, the PO-PSL government allowed foreign seasonal workers in agriculture from six countries close to Poland to work based on declarations of entrusting work to foreigners.
This system has led to extraordinarily high employment rates of Ukrainian migrants in Poland. Without their influx, the Polish labor market would have faced serious difficulties, including a greater economic slowdown.
Ukrainians represent a specific group of immigrants who choose to work in Poland not only for economic reasons. The similarity of languages is also important, allowing for communication after just a few weeks, along with geographical proximity, which facilitates more frequent contact with family.
Of course, higher wages compared to those in Ukraine and simplified regulations that allow for easier access to the labor market also play a significant role.
However, we do not know what decisions this group of workers will make in the future, especially once the war ends. This is important because, on a global scale, our country is not an attractive destination for immigrants.
In this year's UN demographic projection, Poland is projected to have a negative migration balance by 2100—more of our compatriots will emigrate than immigrants will settle here. From the perspective of many, Poland often serves as a transit country, and interest in working here mainly comes from individuals with lower demands. Therefore, we need a wise migration policy that will help us compete for migrants.
Keep in mind that migration processes have a certain inertia, which means that the effects of actions taken are visible with a delay, and full control over them is challenging.
Therefore, actions within the framework of migration policy should consider three perspectives: that of the immigrant, the country receiving immigrants, and finally, the perspective of entrepreneurs. Reconciling these three viewpoints is difficult, but achievable in the long run.
To effectively manage migration, we must undertake many actions, but at the very beginning, reliable information is essential. It is necessary to collect credible data about immigrants. This is why steps are being taken toward integrating databases.
A key element is also the integration policy for immigrants into society. Closing ourselves off to their influx is not realistic, nor is it in our interest due to demographic processes and future changes in the labor market. Unfortunately, until now, we have faced a lack of a coherent integration policy. The actions taken have been fragmented and focused on individual aspects of migration.
Integrating immigrants with local communities involves access to public services, education, and healthcare—on fair, not preferential, terms. We should not overlook issues such as funding for Polish language courses or establishing clear procedures and conditions for obtaining citizenship.
Local governments should play an important role in integration, although this raises questions about their proper financing. Migration policy should aim to transform short-term migration into long-term migration, which would promote family reunification and change immigrants' mindset from temporary work to permanent residency.
Such a policy would be beneficial from the perspective of employers, as immigrants, having the assurance that they will remain in Poland permanently, would have a strong incentive to invest in the skills needed in our economy.
Instead of mimicking the migration policies of other countries or completely shutting ourselves off from immigrants, Poland should seek constructive solutions, including increasing the transparency of visa policy and supporting employers in recruiting specialists.
Some of the proposed solutions have been outlined in the previously mentioned report as well as during the TEP and 'Rzeczpospolita' debate, 'Migration – Problem or Challenges for Poland?'. The topic of migration policy evokes many emotions, but a well-planned migration management process can bring benefits in terms of both security and stable economic growth.
