In April 2009, the Polish parliament approved new regulations allowing foreigners to apply for Polish citizenship if they meet certain requirements, including command of the Polish language and legal residence in Poland for at least three years (or two years in some cases). Estimates suggest that more than 100,000 immigrants in Poland currently meet the requirements, which went into effect Aug. 15.
The law is a source of concern particularly for Ukraine. Ukrainians constitute the largest group of foreign nationals in Poland with an estimated 30,000 immigrants working legally in the country and an even higher number working illegally. However, Ukrainians still make up less than 1 percent of the Polish workforce. The new citizenship law could boost immigration since it would allow new workers and family members of Ukrainians living in Poland to legally reside there as well.
Poland's accession to the European Union in 2004 affected the country's migration flows in two ways: EU membership allowed thousands of Polish citizens to emigrate to Western European countries — especially Germany and the United Kingdom — and it made Poland an attractive destination for foreign workers, especially from the former Soviet states. In Poland, most of these immigrants have been low-skilled laborers working in sectors such as agriculture, food processing and eldercare. Immigration has been further encouraged by Poland's good economic performance in spite of the European economic crisis.
The Polish economy and the country's demographics explain the need for a more flexible citizenship law. Poland is one of the few EU countries to experience economic growth throughout the Continent's financial crisis; that growth is expected to continue. As a result, the Polish economy will likely be able to continue to absorb foreign workers in upcoming years.
Furthermore, Warsaw is trying to mitigate the effects of a demographic shift in Poland. The Polish population (roughly 38.2 million) is expected to shrink by 15 percent by 2050, so Warsaw is looking to augment the diminishing workforce by becoming an immigration destination for young workers from Baltic and Eastern European countries. In December 2011, Poland announced amnesty for illegal immigrants who had arrived in the country prior to December 2007 and granted them resident cards allowing them to work legally.
However, this strategy carries some risks. In March 2009, Polish unions called for restrictions on work permits given to foreigners as a means to preserve jobs for Polish workers who were expected to return home due to loss of opportunities in Western Europe. The union demands conform to the tendency among European countries to have trouble assimilating immigrants. A surge of Eastern European workers into Poland could create domestic unrest if the population sees the immigrants as threatening to Polish workers.
Moreover, the easing of citizenship requirements could fuel tensions between Poland and its EU neighbors, especially if Poland's new citizens begin emigrating to Western Europe. During Poland's EU accession negotiations, Brussels specifically requested that Warsaw make immigration to Poland more difficult for Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians in order to meet the requirements of the Schengen Treaty, which allows free movement within the European Union.
As a result of the current economic crisis, European countries are becoming more sensitive to migration issues and could feel uncomfortable with Poland's new citizenship policy. The law is less likely to create tension with Poland's eastern neighbors, especially if Eastern European immigrants are low-skilled workers. However, Central and Eastern European countries have been facing their own demographic challenges and could begin to feel uneasy about Polish policies in light of their own workforce reductions.
