Poland needs to set in motion new ways of attracting highly qualified workers in order to avoid the consequences of an impending future labour shortage.
That was the message from Dr Maciej Duszczyk of the University of Warsaw at a conference on social policy in the Polish capital.
While migration of those workers was a positive thing for the country, Dr Duszczyk – of the Centre of Migration Research Institute of Social Policy and a fellow of the Transatlantic Forum on Migration and Integration – added that the Polish government needed to create laws and regulation that would make it successful.
“So far an integration policy is missing – works are currently underway on adoption of relevant legal acts,” he said.
Many speakers dwelt on the mobility of people across Europe, maintaining that it will not only continue but will intensify over time.
The case of Germany, from where more than 600,000 people are migrating every year, was highlighted. Although most of these migrants include those returning to Turkey and Romania, some 150,000 Germans are leaving for the US and Switzerland annually.
Contrary to the ‘brain drain’ often associated with the migration of highly qualified workers, participants heard that there is potential for brain gain.
Constantinos Fotakis, adviser to the director in the analysis, evaluation and external relations unit of the EU’s DG for Employment, said investment on human resources as well as developing a more open labour market were necessary.
‘Social and economic impact of migration: Central and East-European perspectives’ was jointly organised by the Polish Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound).
