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Recent trends in international migration - Poland 1998
Okolski, Marek |
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| This paper, by the Instyut Studiow Spolecznych UW, claims that during the ten year period from 1988 to 1998 there was no co-ordination at central government level in the area of migration policy. While the Ministry of the Interior and Administration were in favour of strict control of migrants, the Government Centre for Strategic Studies pointed to losses suffered by Poland’s economy as a result of such a policy. Poland’s preparations for European Union accession raised two issues of particular importance regarding migration policy, the movements of Lithuanians and Ukrainians in view of European Union standards, and the effect of Polish migrants on the Union’s labour market. Most Polish migrant workers, irrespective of their legal status, find employment abroad in the lower end of the labour market, the duration of their contracts is short and both the skills required and wages offered are low. Many of the foreigners entering Poland are circular travellers engaged in some sort of economic activity, or are seasonal workers who escape registration. It is clear that a large number of foreign workers in Poland work in the shadow economy, and that no serious attempt has been made to establish the magnitude of that employment. Only a small part of foreign workers apply for work permits, as the application procedure is costly and time-consuming. Although the Polish rules regarding refugee status are rather liberal, most applicants simply disappear after submitting their application. 1997 saw an increase in the number of foreigners apprehended trying to illegally cross the border. The majority were heading elsewhere, however for others, predominantly from Vietnam and Armenia, Poland was the country of destination. |
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