Polish entrepreneurs, against the background of a decrease in the flow of migrants from Ukraine, expressed fears that their enterprises would thus be left without labor. This was reported on August 5 by the Rzeczpospolita newspaper, noting that the Polish government, under public pressure, wants to tighten immigration policy even more.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for local companies to recruit employees, and the number of open vacancies is increasing from quarter to quarter, the media pointed out. According to the country’s Main Statistical Office, in March there were more than 112 thousand vacant jobs on the labor market.

In some industries, staff shortages are a problem for half or more companies, the newspaper pointed out. It is clarified that the most problems arise with the recruitment of employees in the construction industry, manufacturing, transport and logistics, where immigrants most often work. At the same time, 1.16 million foreigners currently work in Poland, which is 11 times more than 10 years ago.

Earlier, on July 25, Bild newspaper reported that Poland expects a new wave of Ukrainian refugees due to the consequences of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The head of the Department for the Protection of the Rights of the civilian population, Dariusz Marczynski, noted that a large influx of Ukrainians into the country is expected in autumn and winter.

Earlier, on May 14, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the country would not accept illegal migrants within the framework of the «Migration Pact» adopted by the Council of the European Union (EU). He stressed that Poland voted against the «Migration Pact». The Prime Minister also noted that negotiations on this pact were conducted by the previous Polish government.

After, on May 20, Poland, contrary to the new pact of the European Union (EU), refused to accept migrants in the country and provide them with asylum. It was noted that the authorities in Warsaw have already recorded more than 80 thousand attempts to illegally enter the EU. Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski explained that the EU documents do not take into account the situation on the border of Belarus. Therefore, the pact itself should distribute the migration burden among the EU countries.

European countries have begun to place Ukrainian refugees on their territories since the beginning of Russia’s special operation to protect Donbass, which Russia announced on February 24, 2022.