Migration to Poland – An Inevitability

Poland's economic conditions and long-term development potential suggest that the country is well positioned to emerge as a regional power, in a manner comparable to Turkey. Unfortunately there is one serious structural constraint on Poland's development, namely demography. It is the largest hurdle facing Poland's potential growth as it constrains labor supply and long-term economic capacity.

Unfortunately, the demographic situation in Poland has crossed a critical threshold in terms of population replacement. In simple terms - there aren't enough women in reproduction age to stop the decline (unless they, all of a sudden, start having 4-5 kids - and they won't). Therefore, Poland will have to open herself to migration. There's no other way if we want to go towards a regional power position and not a dying out nursing home.

As we have witnessed in Western Europe, migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and Muslim countries tend to create more problems than they solve. Therefore, I think Poland should concentrate on attracting - in exactly that order:

1. Polish emigrants who left the country after 2004.

Although a substantial proportion has already returned, it is realistically estimated that up to one million individuals could still be encouraged to return.

2. People of Polish origin from the USA, Canada and former Soviet states (including Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan).

3. Slavic migrants from economically less developed Slavic countries, including Slovakia and the former Yugoslav republics.

4. Roman Catholic migrants from the Philippines and from Central and South America.

5. Asian migrants, with a particular focus on those from Vietnam, where a sizeable and well-integrated community already exists in Poland, as well as migrants from India and Bangladesh.

If these groups can be attracted in appropriate proportions, alongside the implementation of long-term improvements within the native Polish population, Poland may be able to emerge as a regional power commensurate with her potential and ambitions.

Some continue to argue that Poland can develop without significant immigration; nevertheless, as noted earlier, this scenario would likely lead to rapid population ageing and a substantial contraction of the working-age population within one or two generations.

Hmm, sounds almost ideal, Torq.
Problem is, neighboring non-Slavic countries might get the wrong idea and see your scenario as a mere repeat of Hitler's ill-fated Heim ins Reich, whereby peoples of Germanic origin, not merely Volga Germans, incidentally, were encouraged, exhorted in fact to "return" to their historic homeland, forcibly displacing long- established Jewish populations who'd been living within the German. Empire for nearly a thousand years.

Will the pension payments bankrupt Poland then?

Good question. My query as well.

Lithuania and Germany? We don't neighbour any other non-Slavic countries. ;)

Anyways, in points 1 and 2 I am talking about voluntary repatriation, not some sort of ethno-imperial nonsense. There is neither territorial revisionism nor population displacement involved, so no reason to worry, Lyzko.


I'm quite sure a solution can be found. Pension payments will only be a problem if we leave the question of demography unanswered and wait for Poland to slowly but surely turn into a huge nursing home. That's precisely what my plan is devised to avoid.

Already lots of those coming here. One of the factories up the road from here apparently has more Filipinos working on the production line than Poles. I understand the bosses there love them, as they work hard and don't cause any trouble. The local priests are also happy.


None that I know of within a 20-minute drive from here but I do know people from towns were there are a fair few workers from that part of the world. Apparently not quite such a success. Could perhaps be something to do with the macho culture there resulting in a few chaps not having the sense to just walk away from any Poles who are looking for trouble.

Marrakesh's question is more to the point!

Brilliant!


Hm... this indeed might be a problem.


Already answered.

Let's hope so, or it all might turn out to be an expensive mistake.

Sure, if whole families can return to Poland, it would be a nice population boost. How about golden visas, but paid by Poland to the returning families?

There is no doubt that Poland should help the returning families. In the long run it will definitely pay off.

They already get a quadruple tax-free allowance (i.e. the first 116,000zl a year they earn is free of income tax) for the first four years they're in Poland!

@Lazarus
So it's about 10,320 PLN per year (or less if they force a ZUS and healthcare payment), an equivalent of a first-class plane ticket to Poland from another continent like the US or Australia. If you return with two or three other family members, it would not even cover the transportation cost. How is it a good deal for the migrant?

A married couple can combine that into a 240,000 tax-free allowance. And if they come with three kids, that's another 28,800zl a year in 800+ payments despite them not having necessarily paid a penny in taxes in Poland. How is that a good deal for Poland? I'd much rather have hard working Filipinos than the children of cowards who deserted Poland during the dark days of communism.

@Lazarus

So it's neither a good deal for returning Poles nor for local Poles, because the first group has little money left after relocation and transportation costs, and the second group faces more competition for jobs.


How much do Ukrainians have to pay to the system to qualify for the 800+ child payments?

It's not me who wants Poles (or 'Poles') to move back to Poland.


More than Poles.

You are such a revoltingly hypocritical zionist boomer.

Dragging up events from 80 YEARS AGO doesn't make you an intellectual; it makes you desperate and irrelevant.

Invoking Heim ins Reich to critique Polish "return" is insulting - Poland was a primary victim of Nazi Germany.

Applying your absurd "standard" only to Poles, while deliberately making no mention about israel's Law of Return, exposes your double standard.

As usual, you apply moral laundering for jews and moral suspicion for Poles. Your "principles" are nothing more than prejudice in disguise.

If anybody wants an example of why some 'Poles' should most certainly not be encouraged (or even permitted) to move to Poland, it's right there.