Poland as an Emerging Immigration Hub in Central and Eastern Europe

This chapter focuses on new immigrant groups (both forced and voluntary) that are settling in Poland to address labor market shortages created by a combination of Polish outmigration to the UK, an ongoing demographic crisis in Poland, and a refugee crisis caused by the Russian invasion on neighboring Ukraine. Poland has historically been seen as an ethnically, racially, and linguistically homogenous country, and one that has been a source of economic immigrants to Western countries. In the past, the USA, Canada, and Australia were destination countries for political and economic immigrants from Poland; recently, millions of Poles have emigrated to the UK. In the last few years, the migratory flow related to Poland has reversed. Poland became a destination for returning emigrants and has increasingly become attractive for immigrants from near and far. In addition to millions of migrations from neighboring Ukraine and Belarus, Poland is attracting increasing populations from Georgia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. As these immigrants settle in Poland and immigration numbers continue to grow, Poland is becoming a new regional hub for immigrants that is particularly interesting to study as a country that never established a colonial presence, that was historically characterized by a lack of diversity, and is still economically a less attractive destination than its Western counterparts.