In 2023, Poland issued 642,800 permits for foreigners to stay, making it the most in the European Union, according to data from Eurostat. While this was fewer than in 2022 (700,260 permits), across the EU as a whole, countries issued over 3.7 million permits for non-EU citizens, an increase of nearly 5% (4.7%) compared to 2022. Poland was the leader in this list, issuing 17% of all EU documents. Germany came second with 16% (586,140), followed by Spain with 15% permits (549,000).
Employment was stated by Eurostat as the main reason for issuing permits in 2023, accounting for 33.8% of all cases. Family circumstances constituted 14.3% of permits, while other factors, including international protection, accounted for 25.6%. Interestingly, 66.5% of all permits in Poland were issued for employment, just 3% for family reasons, 4.8% for education, and a substantial 25.7% for other reasons (international protection or stay without the right to work, such as retirees). Most of the permits issued in EU were granted to citizens of Ukraine (307,313 permits), followed by citizens of Belarus (281,279) and India (207,966).
In 2023, approximately 89,000 highly skilled workers from outside the EU received the EU Blue Card, allowing highly skilled non-EU citizens to work. Germany issued the vast majority of these documents – 78%. Poland was second, but it issued just 7% of Blue Cards – over ten times fewer, which indicates that mainly manual workers come to Poland.
Currently, the average wait time for work and stay legalization in regional offices averages 4 months for work and ranges from 6 months up to even 2 years for stay. Over 80% of firms cooperating with Gremi Personal complain about employment shortages. There is an ongoing shortage of workers in the same sectors for several years now, including the construction, manufacturing, transportation, and hospitality sectors. This coincides with recent forecasts from the Ministry of Labor’s Occupation Barometer.
One should highlight the fact that Poland issues the most work and stay permits in the entire European Union. This is commendable and should be seen as evidence of dynamic economic growth and the openness of the Polish labor market. Poland has become an attractive destination for immigrants from outside the EU, demonstrating the flexibility of this market and its ability to meet human resources needs regardless of domestic or EU political opinions.
“Unlike countries like Germany, which is currently struggling with a recession, or Spain, which has been grappling with economic difficulties for years, Poland is able to attract a substantial number of foreign workers. This shows that despite certain challenges, such as bureaucracy and not always ideal conditions for highly skilled specialists, Poland is still competitive on the European migration scene. As for highly skilled workers, Poland indeed ranks second in terms of the number of Blue Cards issued, which is a positive signal,” comments Yuriy Grygorenko, the Chief Analyst at Gremi Personal Analytical Center.
“Although Poland is not the first choice for specialists compared to Germany, which clearly dominates this category, the fact that Poland is able to attract such workers speaks to the growing attractiveness of our labor market. Poland has room for further development, especially by improving employment conditions and simplifying administrative procedures. Overall, Poland should continue a policy that supports an influx of labor from abroad, not only low-skilled, but also highly skilled specialists. The key is creating an environment that is attractive not only economically but also socially, which over time will attract even more talent and contribute to the country’s long-term economic development.”
Source: https://managerplus.pl/polska-liderem-w-ue-zatrudnienia-migrantow-pracujacych-fizycznie-41650
