Immigration is an issue that never ceases to surprise. While Western Europeans still half-fear the specter of the Polish plumber, it transpires that Poland has become a fully fledged destination country for immigrants in its own right.
Why is this?
An increasing number of Europeans, especially from southern Europe, are moving to Warsaw and its surrounding areas in search of work. This is a trend that has emerged since 2010, and it has now been confirmed by research, which has found that 600,000 immigrants are now resident in the once communist city.
This is a small number for a country with a population of 40 million, but it is significant considering that, until very recently, the Polish economy was propped up by remittances sent from Polish expats abroad.
This in itself is a fitting historical victory for a country that has long been caught between the grip of Soviet Russia and German power. It is a shift in status that has been brought about by economic changes. Poland, with an annual growth of about 2%, is one of the few EU member states that has withstood the current economic crisis.
Its robust economy has been strengthened by its diversity of investments in both traditional and highly innovative industries. Some sectors need physical labor, particularly in agriculture, and this was the domain of Ukrainian migrant workers. But highly qualified people are also needed in the outsourcing sector, which is now one of the primary drivers of Poland’s economic success.
This is what allows Warsaw to play a leading role in the battle to attract international talent
As much has been confirmed by the increasing numbers of immigrants arriving in Poland, where the cold bites but opportunities abound. For young graduates, often with a Master’s degree, from Rome, Madrid, Athens or Porto, Warsaw offers the opportunity of finding the work they are qualified for.
This is how the carousel of immigration works. The music and direction change according to the economy, in Europe and the rest of the world. On the other hand, it is certainly not a coincidence that for the first time in the past 70 years, in 2011, the net flow of migration between Mexico and the US fell to zero.
Giuseppe Terranova is deputy editor of the online newspaper West. He has a Ph.D. in politics and comparative law of the Euro-Mediterranean region, from Università Kore in Enna, Italy. As an expert on immigration policies, he is a member of the European Centre for International Affairs in Brussels and assistant professor at the department for sustainable development (working with Prof. A Giordano) at Luiss University of Rome. Read other articles by Giuseppe.
