Poland’s economy has become deeply dependent on workers from Ukraine, with nearly 892,000 Ukrainians insured by ZUS at the end of May – a 10% increase over the past year. Yet growing social tensions and populist rhetoric risk repeating the same short-sighted mistakes that Britain made when it welcomed Polish migrants decades ago.
Data from Poland’s Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) leaves no room for doubt: the labor market relies heavily on Ukrainian employees, who are concentrated in manufacturing, construction, logistics and services. At the same time, a study by Personnel Service shows that 38% of Ukrainians do not plan to return home after the war ends – but 17% want to leave Poland as soon as possible, and another 16% are considering returning within the next year or two.
A growing dependence on Ukrainian labor
The number of insured Ukrainians has risen steadily, reaching 891,500 in May, according to money.pl. These workers fill critical gaps in sectors that Poles are increasingly reluctant to join. However, the needs of the economy are not matched by public sentiment. Disputes over shared history and disagreements about social benefits – such as the 800+ child support program – have fueled a wave of populism that is now seeping into political decisions.
Dr Jacek Kucharczyk, a sociologist at the Institute of Public Affairs, warns that scaling back welfare support for Ukrainians could backfire. – In a sense, we are acting today the way Britain treated Polish immigrants in the past. The British expected cheap labor without bearing additional costs, such as social assistance. It is now clear that was a short-sighted and mistaken policy – he said in an interview with money.pl.
The social and political backlash
Reducing or eliminating benefits like the 800+ for Ukrainians may push them to leave Poland for other EU countries or return to Ukraine. This would deal a severe blow to Polish businesses that have come to depend on their labor. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government is actively encouraging its citizens to come back, launching the „Dodomu” app, which was presented at a reconstruction conference in Gdańsk.
The stakes are high. Poland cannot afford to lose a workforce that has become integral to its economic stability. The British experience shows that treating migrants as mere tools – rather than as long-term residents with rights and social support – leads to long-term economic and social costs.
Lessons from Britain’s Polish migration experience
After Poland joined the EU in 2004, hundreds of thousands of Poles moved to the UK, where they were initially welcomed as hard workers but often denied equal access to welfare and treated as temporary labor. Over time, many settled, contributed taxes, and integrated, but the initial policy created resentment and missed opportunities for smoother integration.
Poland now faces a similar crossroads. The decisions made today about the rights and treatment of Ukrainians will shape the country’s labor market and social cohesion for years to come.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. EPA/BRYAN MEADE / PAP
