Poland is treating Ukrainian immigrants the same way the United Kingdom once treated Polish workers: as a cheap labor force without social integration. The strategy is backfiring as nearly 900,000 Ukrainians now form the backbone of the Polish economy, yet growing populism and cuts to welfare benefits push many to consider leaving.
New data from Poland’s Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) shows that at the end of May, the number of insured workers with Ukrainian passports reached 891,500, a year-on-year increase of over 10 percent. Ukrainian employees dominate sectors like manufacturing, construction, logistics, and services, making them irreplaceable for many employers.
However, a survey by Personnel Service’s Barometr Polskiego Rynku Pracy 2026 reveals mixed intentions: 38 percent of Ukrainians do not plan to return home after the war, but 17 percent want to leave Poland immediately after hostilities end, and another 16 percent are considering a return within one or two years.
A historical parallel that warns of failure
– In a sense, we are acting today the way Great Britain treated Polish immigrants in the past. The expectations were simple: cheap labor without additional costs such as welfare support. That was a short-sighted and erroneous policy – said Dr. Jacek Kucharczyk, a sociologist from the Institute of Public Affairs, in an interview with money.pl.
Poland’s current wave of populism, fueled by disputes over shared history, is spilling into politics and affecting social transfers for Ukrainians. The government’s decision to phase out benefits like the 800+ child allowance for foreigners may push many to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Economic dependence collides with nationalist rhetoric
The Ukrainian government itself is encouraging its citizens to return. An app called „Dodomu” was unveiled at a recent conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction in Gdańsk, designed to help returnees readjust. If Poland loses these workers, the consequences could be severe for an economy already struggling with labor shortages.
Dr. Kucharczyk warns that cutting support without offering integration pathways will only accelerate the departure of workers whom Poland can ill afford to lose. The lesson from Britain’s experience with Polish immigrants is clear: treating people as temporary tools rather than future citizens leads to long-term losses for everyone.
Źródło: WNP.PL, money.pl, Fot. EPA/BRYAN MEADE / PAP
