In 2016, large migration inflows continued and grew by 15% to 98 400. As in 2015, the growth was driven by migration from Ukraine, 23% of the total. Other main nationalities were Belarusian, Russian, Vietnamese and Chinese, although each accounted for less than 3% of total inflows.
The spike in residence permit issuance in 2015 continued in 2016. For the second consecutive year, the number of temporary residence permits grew by more than 30%. In 2016, 86 600 temporary residence permits were issued (33% more than in 2015), driving the increase in the total number of residence permits to almost 107 700.
Poland has begun to receive substantial and growing inflows of migrant workers. Data for the first half of 2017 point to an increase of more than 100% in the number of work permits issued (over 108 000) compared with the corresponding period in 2016. Registered employer declarations for temporary workers from neighbouring countries, such as Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, also increased by 40% in 2017 to almost 1 824 500; 94% of them were Ukrainians.
Around 65 800 international students were enrolled in Poland for the academic year 2016/17, an increase of 15% over the year. They represented about 5% of the total university student population. Ukrainians represented 54% of all international students, followed by Belarussians (8%).
Emigration remained significant. According to official national estimates, as of 31 December 2016, 2.5 million Polish citizens were staying temporarily abroad, mostly for work reasons. This represented a 5% annual increase. The main destination countries remain the United Kingdom (31%) and Germany (27%).
According to Eurostat, in 2017, the number of asylum applications more than halved to 5 050, the lowest figure in the decade. As in 2016, 70% of the applications were filed by Russian citizens (3 545, 2.5 times lower than in 2016). Ukrainians filed 13% (670, half the 2016 level) and Tajiks filed 3%. Of 2 035 decisions in 2017, 480 were granted protection. The rejection rate (76%) was 10% lower than in 2016. Poland initially agreed on a quota of 7 000 under the EU relocation programme from Greece and Italy of persons seeking protection, but relocation has not occurred. Inter-ministerial consultations are ongoing on amendments to the asylum act, which would introduce an accelerated asylum procedure at the border, with applicants awaiting a decision placed in detention centres.
The amended Act on Foreigners entered into force on 12 February 2018. Among the changes, the new act makes immigrants’ access to permanent residence and EU long-term residence conditional on Polish language knowledge (level B1 or an appropriate graduation certificate). Children under 16, beneficiaries of international protection, victims of human trafficking and foreigners of Polish descent are exempt. The amendment also transposes the EU Directive on intra-company transfers into Polish legislation and introduces a new temporary residence permit for foreign workers with in-demand skills, granting a shorter path to permanent residence (four instead of five to ten years). The act simplifies transition to employment for international graduates of Polish universities, in line with the October 2017 strategy for the internationalisation of Polish academic and research institutions through the National Agency for Academic Exchange. Subsidies for international students have been increased to three times the level of those available to Polish students.
The Act on employment and labour market institutions was also amended on 1 January 2018. The transposition of the EU seasonal workers Directive introduced other changes to the short-term employment of foreigners, including a new type of work permit for seasonal employment of up to nine months per year in agriculture, horticulture and tourism. Nationals of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine may receive this permit without a labour market test, and may work in Poland for up to six months per year in all sectors except those covered by the seasonal work permits, provided an employer applies to the local labour office. The new act also introduced the possibility of setting annual quotas for work permits, seasonal permits and employers’ applications, with 2018 being a transition year before full implementation of all amendments to the employment act.
Other legislative changes in 2017 introduced more favourable residence conditions for foreigners of Polish descent. Holders of the Card of the Pole who apply for permanent residence are now entitled to a nine-month financial allowance. The waiting period to obtain Polish citizenship was shortened to one year. However, the Card of the Pole issue is conditional on the fulfillment of strict ethnicity conditions. Amendments to the Act on repatriation which entered into force in May 2017 have improved resettlement opportunities and assistance for foreigners of Polish ancestry from Asian former USSR countries.
