Cicero Policy Briefer

Issue 21, February 2008

Poles Apart

By Chris Jackson

Just like the Danes hate to see their beer leave, so the Polish government is equally unhappy about seeing its young, skilled workers up sticks and move to pastures new.

Since joining the EU in 2004, between 1.2 and 2 million Poles have migrated to ‘Old Europe’, with the UK, France, Germany and Ireland the main beneficiaries. Not that all those in old Europe have welcomed this mass migration. All but 3 EU member states—the UK, Ireland and Sweden—placed restrictions on workers migrating from the East following the accession of 10 new member states in 2004. We all no doubt recall the ‘threat’ of Polish nannies and plumbers ‘swamping the labour market’ becoming an issue in the French presidential elections in spring 2007, but what is less well understood has been the reaction from within Poland itself. Despite remittances from émigré workers representing 2.5 per cent of the Polish gross domestic product, the equivalent of €250 billion a year, the government wants its workers back.

The problem of migration for the Polish government is becoming even more pressing as Polish workers from all sectors follow the Pet Shop Boys phenomenon and “go west”—leaving Polish employers struggling to fill vacancies, and the country devoid of its most skilled employees. Furthermore, research on Polish workers in the UK has shown that 15 per cent of current migrants intend to remain in the UK, while 30 per cent are unsure whether they will ever return to their homeland. Such sentiments and increasing quantities of Polish migrants have led to a number of initiatives to try and stem the flow, and encourage them to return ‘home’.

“Stay With Us” and “Go and Come Back” may sound like the names of a couple of pop songs, but both initiatives are serious attempts to stop the mass exodus from Poland and encourage Polish expatriates to come home. Rafał Dutkiewicz, the mayor of Wrocław, Poland's fourth largest city, has even travelled to the UK to entice the Poles back by highlighting the rising wage levels and new opportunities.

The obvious reason for this ongoing brain drain is the potential for Polish workers to earn nearly ten times the amount they would back in Poland. However, though this may have been a salient point in the past, with domestic wages rising and large investment by firms like Microsoft and Tesco, financial incentives abroad are no longer the main motivation to leave Poland. But the prospects of personal development, progression and opportunity resonate strongly among Poles.

While the Polish government criticises the free movement of labour in Europe for enabling many of its citizens to depart, it is now up to it and the EU in tandem to overcome the side effects of membership and embrace the opportunities that EU membership offers. If through regional development funding they can create a real ‘spark’ of development, optimism and aspiration, then it is likely that the exodus will be reduced. However, with the issue now not solely a financial one the prospect of enticing people back may not be so straightforward.

Both Poles abroad and at home need to feel that they can attain their dreams without having to leave Poland—but with the savviest in society now gone, this may be a difficult task for those left and the government to achieve. We all know the talents of Polish plumbers in the UK, but whether the Polish government can match them by halting the leaking of its own talent is a question that will run on for a while yet.

Chris Jackson can be contacted on +44 (0)20 7665 9530 or click here to email.