The last word: Poland’s need for foreign workers creates policy challenges

Historically, Poland has not been a major destination for migrants, but the country’s growing economy has become a significant pull factor. That success creates new responsibilities for those in power.

I regularly travel to all the countries in emerging Europe, but I don’t always get to spend a lot of time in each place. It means that I am often unable to explore each country to the full to discover how life is changing firsthand.  

This summer has been different. I have had the opportunity to drive across much of region, to Czechia, Poland, Hungary and the Western Balkans. And the journey continues. 

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One thing that struck me in Poland is that the country is now a destination for migrants, and it has become incredibly ethnically diverse over the last few years. And I am not talking about the Ukrainian community that have made Poland their home since February 2022. It is estimated that there are now about 950,000 Ukrainian citizens living in Poland. 

Polish firms need workers

Instead, I refer rather to people from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, Turkiye, Georgia, Moldova and even Spain who have come to Poland in search of a job. And it’s not only major cities. I went shopping in a Dino, a Polish grocery chain, in a village called Walichnowy, halfway between the cities of Łódź and Wrocław, and the vast majority of shoppers were immigrants.  

The landcapes of many other small villages and small towns are full of local kebab shops and other small places offering Asian fast food.  

I went to restaurants in Katowice, Warsaw, or Wrocław, that were run by foreigners, where it was simply faster to place an order in English. A friend told me about a store in Poland’s capital where the staff speak no Polish.  

The statistics are telling. According to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, almost two million documents giving foreigners the right to work in Poland were issued in 2023 alone. The ministry is working on a new law that is expected to simplify the process of hiring foreign citizens and set it in order. 

Polish companies will need even more workers going forward as a result of demographic challenges. The Polish Economic Institute estimates the country needs about 150,000 IT specialists and the same number of professional drivers. Manufacturing, construction, hotel and catering sectors also face labour shortages.  

Employers’ organisations are calling for the government to create a predictable and sustainable migration strategy in reply to the tightening labour market where the demand for skilled workers increasingly outstrips the local supply. 

The need for better integration policies

That strategy should not only reflect demand but also outline an integration process. The growing ethnic diversity in Poland is already not without its challenges. Workers appear to live in enclaves like the group in the Walichnowy area, all squeezed in a 19th-century estate that used to serve as a primary school during communist times and was recently purchased by a local entrepreneur. 

More broadly, the increasing number of immigrants has sparked a range of responses, from warm welcomes to scepticism and resistance. Cultural integration has become a hot-button issue in many Polish communities, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas less accustomed to foreign residents. 

Language barriers, cultural differences, and varying religious practices have sometimes resulted in misunderstandings and social tension. Moreover, the rise of nationalist sentiments in some quarters has compounded these challenges, with political debates often reflecting divergent views on the role of immigrants in Polish society. 

Historically, Poland has not been a major destination for migrants, compared to countries like Germany, the UK, Sweden or France. Poland’s growing economy has become a significant pull factor. That success creates new responsibilities that those in power did not have to worry about before. Driving around Poland shows this matter is now urgent. 

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