In an attempt to provide an appropriate answer to this unprecedented wave of refugees, Poland recently passed a number of measures designed to give refugees easier access to the job market.

During a press conference held last Monday, the Polish Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg announced that 30,000 Ukrainians have so far taken up work, of which around 75% are women. 

The Polish minister explained that most of the new employees are working in the countries’ main cities, such as Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań, and Wrocław. She emphasised that the government encourages Ukrainians to also live and work in smaller municipalities.

Minister Maląg underlined that the government has devoted 40 million zloty (£7.16 million) to a new programme called “Together we can do more” which helps Ukrainian refugees to enter the labour market.

“We will increase this budget even further because we want Ukrainians to be able to stand on their own two feet here in Poland,” Maląg told the press. 

ISB news reports that further legislation is to be submitted to parliament in order to “facilitate the recognition of qualifications from various professions.”

The huge movement of the population over the last few weeks is of historical scale. In the city of Kraków, a staggering 20% increase in the city’s population has been observed since late February. The limits of accommodation have been attained in the blink of an eye, as is the case in many other places. 

Image: British Poles

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen