Poland wants to bring in 400,000 foreign workers a year – Corriere.it

Poland program di bring at least 400,000 migrants into the country a year to make up for the labor shortage that is slowing down the economy. This was announced by the foreign ministry which announced a simplification of visa procedures for citizens of 20 non-EU countries. An unprecedented breakthrough for the sovereign government in Warsaw which has always stood out for a policy of strong closure of migratory flows.

Poland has historically been the point of arrival for a very limited number of non-EU citizens, with the only exception being Ukrainians fleeing the war: the country has welcomed one million of them, half of which are already “absorbed” by the labor market. However, most of the refugees are women while companies are looking for predominantly male figures in construction, iron and steel, shipbuilding and transport.

The plan hypothesizes to allow the arrival in Poland, as mentioned, of 400,000 people a year, according to a estimate by the Polish Economic and Social Council. To give an idea: the last one flows decree approved by the Italian government allowed about 82,000 visas for foreign workers. The countries to which Warsaw opens its doors are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Armenia Azerbaijan, Georgia, Pakistan, India Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Nigeria and Moldova.

As early as 2022, labor demands had sent Polish-granted permits soaring to over 300,000; the policy adopted by the sovereign government, however, was to welcome only migrants from culturally “similar” countries to Poland (as mentioned, mostly Ukrainians). The Think Tank «Wise Europe» ranks now Poland no longer a country of emigration but of immigration.

The local economy, moreover, appears to be expanding: in 2022 – according to data from Confindustria – Productivity in Poland grew by 17.4% with GDP growth on an annual basis of 5%. The first few months of the new year saw a slowdown, a consequence of the decline in the German economy.

About Germany, Berlin is also planning to expand the possibilities for recruiting foreign workers. The German Parliament on Friday approved a plan through which it aims to attract more skilled workers in the main European economy. The text includes a “point system” which takes account of professional experience and other factors, along the lines of mechanisms already used by countries such as Canada. Even in Germany, the demographic decline makes it difficult to find manpower: the jobs that risk remaining uncovered are also in this case 400,000 a year.