Poland open to Ukrainians: senior official
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
24.11.2016 15:28
Poland is making it easier for foreigners to live and work in this country, a senior official has told the Super Express daily, ahead of an EU decision expected on Thursday on whether to waive visas for Ukrainians.
Photo: Flickr.com/Sergey Kovalyov
Poland’s Deputy Labour and Social Policy Minister Stanisław Szwed told the daily that the government has made it easier for Ukrainians to study in Poland and is working on other initiatives.
“We need to prepare... to make it easier for citizens from other countries, of whom most will be Ukrainians, to decide to establish permanent ties, with legal work, in our country,” Szwed said.
He added this particularly applied to jobs in which there are labour shortages in Poland.
Szwed said Poland would not lose many of its Ukrainian workers to other EU countries if the visa exemption goes ahead.
“We have two benefits, of being a neighbouring country and having a cultural similarity with Ukrainians,” Szwed added.
He also said Ukrainians would not risk illegal work in France or Germany when Poland offers legal employment, adding that the EU was considering visa-free travel rather than work visas.
Polish media have reported that about a million Ukrainians are currently working in Poland, while according to Szwed more than a million more work permit applications for Ukrainians await consideration.
Poland is experiencing its lowest levels of unemployment in more than 25 years. Szwed said this country is suffering a labour shortage after millions of Poles emigrated to other EU countries after Poland joined the bloc in 2004. (vb/pk)
Source: tradingeconomics.com, se.pl