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Poland becomes new hub for Southeast Asian migrants
| Published: | 2 Jan at 6 PM |
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Poland, one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies, isn’t yet known for its multiculturalism but is now becoming a favourite with a new wave of migrants from Southeast Asia.
Vietnamese citizens looking for a new start are now heading for the former Communist country, drawn by its previous links with the Vietnamese Communist regime. Nowadays, the Vietnamese community is the biggest ethnic minority in the country, with most living in Soviet-style apartment blocks in the Warsaw suburbs.
Many have arrived illegally, benefiting from a later amnesty granted by the Polish government aware its fast-growing economy is in need of dedicated workers. As with many former Communist Bloc countries, Poland has seen a large number of skilled workers leave for jobs in leading EU member states, and the exodus has resulted in a labour shortage which threatens to derail economic growth, making migrants from Southeast Asia a welcome addition to the workforce.
Once an illegal Vietnamese immigrant living in fear of discovery, Qui is now fully legalised, married to Thiem, a Vietnamese immigrant whom he met in Warsaw, and with a family of his own. He works in the clothing trade, has his own market stall, and lives with his family in a comfortable rented apartment.
Both Qui and his wife are proud of Poland, feel they belong there and are already planning their son’s further education at a Polish university. The lively suburbs of Warsaw are a tribute to the changing ethnicities in the country, home to a vibrant mix of Asians, Africans, migrants from other Balkan countries and even Chinese.
Poland is the only EU country to have avoided recession over the last several years, with work permit app0lications doubled and continuing to rise. Minister for Foreigners Rafal Rogala is proud that his country is a favoured destination for economic migrants, saying their needs are understood due to the Polish peoples’ own history of economic migration.
Vietnamese citizens looking for a new start are now heading for the former Communist country, drawn by its previous links with the Vietnamese Communist regime. Nowadays, the Vietnamese community is the biggest ethnic minority in the country, with most living in Soviet-style apartment blocks in the Warsaw suburbs.
Many have arrived illegally, benefiting from a later amnesty granted by the Polish government aware its fast-growing economy is in need of dedicated workers. As with many former Communist Bloc countries, Poland has seen a large number of skilled workers leave for jobs in leading EU member states, and the exodus has resulted in a labour shortage which threatens to derail economic growth, making migrants from Southeast Asia a welcome addition to the workforce.
Once an illegal Vietnamese immigrant living in fear of discovery, Qui is now fully legalised, married to Thiem, a Vietnamese immigrant whom he met in Warsaw, and with a family of his own. He works in the clothing trade, has his own market stall, and lives with his family in a comfortable rented apartment.
Both Qui and his wife are proud of Poland, feel they belong there and are already planning their son’s further education at a Polish university. The lively suburbs of Warsaw are a tribute to the changing ethnicities in the country, home to a vibrant mix of Asians, Africans, migrants from other Balkan countries and even Chinese.
Poland is the only EU country to have avoided recession over the last several years, with work permit app0lications doubled and continuing to rise. Minister for Foreigners Rafal Rogala is proud that his country is a favoured destination for economic migrants, saying their needs are understood due to the Polish peoples’ own history of economic migration.
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