Ukrainians in Poland have been counted again: the number of labor migrants has increased, refugees have decreased
17 January 16:56
37% of Ukrainians living in Poland arrived less than six months ago, the highest figure among all respondents, and 67% of respondents are women. These and other data were published in the analytical center of the international employment agency Gremi Personal, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The survey was conducted by electronic questionnaire in December last year, 856 people took part in it.
40% of the respondents are aged 36-54, the largest category by number. 37% are under the age of 25. In the range of 26 to 35 years, 20% of respondents are between the ages of 26 and 35, and only 3% are over 55.
As the authors of the study note, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland has become the main refuge for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, but recent data indicate significant changes in the composition of Ukrainians currently residing in Poland.
This refers, in particular, to survey data showing how long ago Ukrainians came to Poland. According to the survey, 37% of Ukrainians in Poland arrived less than six months ago. 23% arrived within 2 years. 15% of Ukrainians have been in Poland for 3 years. 10% have been in Poland for more than 5 years, 9% of respondents arrived a year ago, and the lowest rate is among those who have been in Poland for 4 years – 6%
According to Anna Dzhobolda, Director of Recruitment at Gremi Personal, “the largest share of Ukrainians came to Poland within six months, which indicates that the dominant group among newcomers are labor migrants who choose Poland because of geographical proximity, common cultural traditions and favorable working conditions.”
“The survey also showed that the number of Ukrainians who arrived in Poland with the beginning of the full-scale invasion is currently only 15%. They probably returned to Ukraine after the danger had passed or moved to other countries,” says Anna Dzhobolda.
The agency also draws attention to the fact that the largest age group is people aged 36-54, which indicates the active labor potential of these migrants.
“These Ukrainians mostly earn money in Poland and return home, where they spend their earnings to support the Ukrainian economy,” says Anna Dzhobolda.
According to her, Poland, which has been a refuge for refugees since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, is now returning to partnership with Ukraine in the field of labor migration. And this, according to the director of the recruitment department of Gremi Personal, also has a positive impact on the Polish economy and the employment market.
How many refugees from Ukraine have temporary protection status in the EU
As of November 30, 2024, more than 4 million 230 thousand people from non-EU countries who fled Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine had temporary protection status. This is evidenced by Eurostat data.
Citizens of Ukraine accounted for more than 98.3% of the beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU. Of these, almost half (44.9%) were adult women, almost a third (32.0%) were children, and less than a quarter (23.1%) were adult men.
The EU countries that received the largest number of temporary protection beneficiaries from Ukraine were Germany (1,152,620; 27.2% of the total EU population), Poland (987,925; 23.3%) and the Czech Republic (385,190; 9.1%).
Compared to the population of each EU country, the highest ratio of those granted temporary protection per thousand people was observed in the Czech Republic (35.3), Poland (27.0), Latvia and Estonia (25.5 each), while the corresponding figure at the EU level was 9.4 per thousand people.
