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Numerous studies in the field of international migration focus on utilizing migrant networks in migration process, outlining their role in the choice of destination country as well as in the job search process. However, relatively few of the studies discuss migrant networks' role in the choice of a specific location within destination cities. This paper contributes to this research area by providing additional insights into the motives behind choosing place of residence by immigrants in contemporary European cities. In our paper, we use data of a tailor‐made survey of 610 Polish immigrants, who emigrated from Poland to the UK shortly after 2004, that is, after opening of the British labour market for Polish citizens. Our study results reveal that propensity towards living in the Polish neighbourhood is inversely correlated with migrants' English language proficiency. Moreover, we discover that networking within the Polish diaspora is to a large extent limited to family and close acquaintances, which most likely results from the limited generalized trust towards other Poles. Based on our study results, we argue that settling in geographical proximity of migrant's ethnic group is likely to maintain its relevance in the contemporary cities, especially in case of immigrants with poor destination language skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the challenge of measuring the extent of immigration to the UK following EU Accession in 2004, and argues that the most commonly used databases (UK Census, Labour Force Survey and Worker Registration Scheme) can be supplemented by the National Insurance Number (NINo) Allocations database, and demonstrates the utility of this data for future research by outlining the geography of immigration derived from NINo. The paper makes three important contributions through the thorough analysis of a data source currently underexploited in migration studies; first that the NINo, when used as a indicator of migration per se offers some interesting insights into migration in the UK, and secondly that as a tool for comprehensively measuring the registration of migrants working legally in the UK, it offers a means of constructing a internal geography of (legal) labour migration, as the paper demonstrates. Third, the analysis also identifies self-employment as a potentially important missing driver behind EU Accession Migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on a qualitative study of recent Polish migrants in London (). The paper reveals the roles that different family members played in the migration narratives of these Polish migrants. In order to gain a broader understanding of migration patterns, it is necessary to explore what is meant by 'the family' and how this may operate transnationally. By examining spatially dispersed relationships, the paper aims to contribute to an understanding of transnational families. In addition, by highlighting the various ways in which families may be split, reunited, and reshaped through the process of migration, the paper argues for a need to explore the shifting ties between relatives 'here' and 'there'. The paper explores the dynamism of these relationships over time in the context of specific immigration regimes and the interplay with local attachments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the decline in the level of internal migration has been the focus of growing scholarly attention, little attention has been paid to countries with increasing or stable intensities. As a result, it is not clear why internal migration is declining in some countries but not in others. This paper seeks to address this gap by establishing variations in internal migration trends in 18 OECD countries and determining the economic, demographic and social factors underpinning them. We assemble a time series of annual interregional migration intensities from 1996 to 2018. We find that all non‐European countries report a downward trend, whereas in Europe, eight countries exhibit an upward trend, four do not display a significant trend in either direction, and Poland shows a modest decline. We use a country fixed‐effect dynamic panel data model to distinguish long‐ and short‐term associations. The results show that a reduction in the proportion of young adults and regional inequalities decreases interregional migration whereas a rise in information technologies and net international migration increases interregional migration in the long term. Only regional income inequalities affect the intensity of migration in both the short and the long term. Although the different paces at which these factors evolve explain some of the heterogeneity in internal migration trends, they do not fully account for the downward trend in non‐European countries. Panel time series are valuable for understanding internal migration trends and effort should be geared towards the inclusion of more countries, extended periods and additional explanatory variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I focus on the experiences of female labour migrants, looking particularly at the emigration of married women from a region with a long-established culture of emigration, in the context of the accession of Poland to the European Union. The paper is empirical in its content and is based mainly on emigration stories and narratives recorded in the form of biography or autobiography. I discuss different stages of the migration process - the decision to migrate; the experience of migration (in particular, with reference to its impact on families, both abroad and at home), and also the consequences of migration for Polish society, particularly with reference to family cohesion and changing gender roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will examine some aspects of the formation of new residential areas, taking as an example the experience of one Polish city. The city under discussion developed quite rapidly due to the construction of a new industrial plant and considerable subsequent immigration. Attention is focused on the problem of the integration of newcomers and existing inhabitants. The paper refers to the town-planners' aims: how they were formulated and what methods were used to achieve them, as well as their social effects. However, some important social phenomena occurred which were not a direct product of conscious action by town planners and decision-taking bodies and these will also be mentioned. The relationship between sociological research and social practice will also be examined. The paper treats cities as specific socio-spatial entities, thus it is assumed that any phenomenon within an organized urban area has its specific social consequences and all-important social phenomena are reflected in the ways in which space is used and in attitudes towards it. Moreover, it is taken for granted that if objective facts are important, they must be reflected in social consciousness. Conversely, opinions or stereotypes, which exist in social consciousness influence and even, hinder actions. These individual and group decisions or actions constitute the above-mentioned objective facts.

Poland's accession to the European Union in May 2004 brought many new possibilities and opportunities for Polish migrants to the United Kingdom. However, the focus on individual migrants has underestimated the complex roles of families in migration strategies and decision making. This paper brings together data from two studies of Polish migrants in London. In 2006-2007, we carried out a qualitative study, Recent Polish Migrants in London. That research examined how families may be reconfigured in different ways through migration, for example, transnational networks and splits within families. While the study participants represented varied examples of family reunification, they also revealed the complex decision making processes about leaving, staying, rejoining and returning. In our most recent study, Polish Children in London Primary Schools, we interviewed parents, who had migrated with children, about their experiences and expectations of London schools. This study revealed that the age of children was usually a factor in family migration decision making. There was a common expectation that younger children could easily adapt to a new school and learn English quickly. Drawing on the findings of these two studies, this paper will explore firstly, the variety of family migration strategies and secondly, the factors that inform migrants' decisions to bring their families (especially children) or to leave them back home. Finally, the paper concludes by considering some of the policy implications of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse the effect of emigration from Poland on Polish wages. Focusing on the 1998-2007 period for Poland, we use a unique dataset that contains information about household members who are currently living abroad, which allows us to develop region-specific emigration rates and to estimate the effect of emigration on wages using within-region variation. Our findings show that emigration led to a slight increase in wages for high- and medium-skilled workers, which are the two groups with the largest relative outmigration rates. Workers at the low end of the skill distribution might have experienced wage decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will briefly outline some of the main trends in Polish urban sociology since the Second World War and their connection with practical issues, relating them to the country's scientific tradition and historical situation. Studies of urban and rural local communities began early in this century. For example, during the First World War, some sociologists carried out their work on Polish peasants in Europe and the U.S. They were concerned with the mass emigration of the rural population and the transformation of traditional, isolated Polish villages into villages which were part of a broader community. Another problem studied was the formation of specific local Polish communities in the U.S. In the inter-war period, many studies of Polish villages were carried out, analyzing them as local communities. After the Second World War the question of the local community was very important and of interest to practitioners and social workers. It was tempting to conclude that the traditional, fairly immobile way of life of the towns and villages had been deeply transformed and even sometimes completely eliminated. The war had in fact brought about a tremendous migration. People left their homes in order to escape from the invading army.

A great deal of research has examined the degree to which migration acts as a regulator of labour supply and demand. This research considers the economic development potential of migration by examining whether replacement migration can be harnessed in peripheral locations to offset the loss of human capital resulting from emigration. The analysis focuses on Eastern Poland and includes data from Ukrainian migrants, Polish emigrants and Polish nationals. Our results suggest that Ukrainian labour migrants have the potential to operate as replacement migrants, offsetting the loss of human capital associated with the out‐migration of Polish nationals. However, there are two important caveats. First, the legal‐administrative framework must place labour migrants on equal footing with host nationals and develop a comprehensive integration strategy. Second, the wasted human capital associated with replacement migration must be acknowledged as a central cost of utilizing replacement migration as a development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article presents an analysis of directions of internal and international migrations undertaken by Polish pensioners. A typology of migration directions is proposed. We use the method of a table of signs to define five major types of pensioner migrations. We show the variability of these types over time, from the Type J (moderately mobile, consistent) in the 1990s to the Type H (moderately mobile, mixed) at present. A detailed analysis reveals a major difference between international and internal migrations: The former are mainly due to economic reasons and the latter to reasons related to housing. The obtained results allow us to conclude that pensioner migrations constitute an important factor in the social and economic development of local communities, especially in the day and age of society ageing and lengthening life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on Poland and Israel, both commonly classified as ethnic nation‐states, and aims to question the expression of ethnic–civic dichotomy in return‐migration policies. Policy documents in each country were analysed and complemented by interviews with policymakers and representatives from relevant organizations. Our analysis reveals that, although there are differences in their policies toward returning residents and in the related programmes in both countries, Israeli and Polish policies include both ethnic and civic components. Therefore, our study supports Joppke's (2005) argument that there is no purely civic or ethnic nationalism and there can be no purely civic or ethnic nation. We show that the proportion of ethnic and civic elements may change over time; thus, our findings contribute to the growing literature pointing to the dynamic nature of nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this article is to explore the patterns of local incorporation of migrant professionals in an urban context. It focuses on Wrocław, a Polish city that is not a traditional migration destination. Drawing on qualitative research, the article analyses migrant trajectories of local incorporation in the context of their reasons for relocation, experiences and perspectives. The article shows the irrelevance of ethnic networks for local incorporation. It demonstrates the role played by the workplace and the Internet, which allows forming sociabilities based on commonalities and shared interests, irrespective of cultural differences. It also shows the inconsistency of the city's policies and calls for policy revision. The article concludes that Wroclaw's policy seems not to correspond with the specificity of professional migration. It is argued that the city's policy is based on sedimentary and assimilationist logic that does not take into account migrants’ reasons for relocation and perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: At a time when there are more people on the move than ever before, it is pivotal to explore people's motivations and experiences of return migration. Whilst motivations for migration are comparatively well explored, return migrants' experiences are less well‐known and migrants' gender is rarely considered. This article addresses these gaps. It is based on qualitative research and in‐depth interviews with 32 Polish women: 16 migrants and 16 return migrants. Considered through the lens of agency and structure, this research uncovers how fluid the process of migration has become; migration motivations and patterns are blurred and interlinked with one another while classic migration theories seem outdated. The study uses an “intersection of motivations” to show how inseparable migration‐related motivations have become. This article contributes to the growing literature on East–West return migration and highlights women as migrants and the gendered nature of their mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article identifies how labour migrants' participation in undeclared work is triggered by a combination of voluntary exit from the formal labour market in the host country as well as structures that makes it more likely for this type of worker to be forced to accept unregistered work. The argument is built by examining how East-West European Union migration can foster or reinforce reasons for participating in undeclared work. At the EU level, the issue of undeclared work is seen as a mounting challenge, and public discussion now associates a supposed increase in undeclared work with the EU's open borders. For this study, 74 semistructured interviews were conducted with Polish labour migrants in Norway - both temporary migrants and more settled ones. A substantial part of these interviews focused on undeclared work. The results indicate that immigration enhances as well as creates new reasons for participating in undeclared work. In particular, they highlight how decisions to participate in undeclared work are not just an effect of labour market dynamics, but also a question of social integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently Poland has been considered a country to emigrate from. However, the situation is now beginning to change, and Poland is becoming an immigration country. This also refers to student migration. Polish universities are becoming increasingly attractive to foreign students, who are mainly of Ukrainian origin. They only began to promote their services abroad in 2005 and their foreign student population growth dynamic is one of the highest in the world. The study was conducted in the Opolskie Voivodeship, the first region in Poland where systematic action was taken to address depopulation, and the steps to counteract population decline were included in its strategic policies. One of the objectives of such policies was to stimulate immigration. For this reason, it was decided that the Opolskie Voivodeship might serve as a lab to study migration processes, including the inflow of foreign students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Poles who have arrived in the UK since EU accession show signs of settling. Often (especially for families with school-age children) this is a gradual process. Other Poles have returned to Poland, but Poland currently seems to be having problems keeping its return migrants. Many go back only to depart again. This article focuses on why some returnees change their minds and decide to make a long-term home abroad. It explores the implications of this decision for transnational practices and identities. It argues that often the key objective is stability. Choosing to settle abroad in the hope of a stable life, returnees attempt to live less split lives. While maintaining certain transnational practices, they scale down others, such as return visits to Poland and keeping well-informed about Polish current events. Simultaneously, they make a decisive effort to integrate into the regular UK labour and housing markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International migration mirrors contemporary society in all its complexity. What has not changed for centuries is the principal motif: people leave their country of origin hoping for a better life. Poland has a long history of emigration: Poles have been migrating for more than 200 years for political, economic and social reasons. In recent decades, Polish migration patterns have undergone dramatic changes. Using online survey data, this article explores new trends in Polish migration since the country's accession to the European Union in 2004. The survey was focused on Polish migrants who stayed abroad for some time, those who stayed abroad before the accession, those who returned to Poland or those who experienced multiple travels and have an ongoing migration project. We conclude that new trends have emerged among Polish migrants. Contemporary migrants are aware of the benefits related to migration and are capable of implementing their migration project quite skilfully. Their high susceptibility to the economic setting proves their flexibility. Polish migrants highly value their new lifestyle abroad and consider friends their most important source of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Poland became the main sending country in Central Europe. Despite the lack of institutional barriers to settling in member states of the European Union since 2004, many Polish migrants continued to undertake temporary labour mobility including repetitive, back-and-forth moves. This article examines the relationship between migrants' back-and-forth international mobility and their activity in the labour market of the sending country. It describes changes in the labour market status of migrants engaging in repetitive migration, based on two surveys conducted in Poland in 2001 and 2007, complemented by qualitative follow-ups. The results show that migrants deploy various economic strategies: reconcile employment in both countries; abandon jobs in Poland; or only remain economically active abroad. In many cases back-and-forth migration led to being unemployed in Poland, which constitutes an important challenge for labour market policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on an exploratory study of Polish 'returned' migrants aided by the Barka Foundation, carried out in 2010 shortly after the men were returned to Poland, during the liminal stage of readjustment and decision-making about whether to remain in Poland, return to the UK or migrate elsewhere. The interviews centred on migrants' assessment of their migration projects; engagement with Barka outreach workers; decision-making processes about returning to Poland; assessment of most pressing needs; evaluation of provided services once they returned to Poland; and plans for the future. Discussions with service providers mirrored these themes to compare the emic or insiders' (migrants) and etic or outsiders' (programme staff's) assessment of the strategies employed to aid Polish 'returned' migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present findings from an anthropological field study on the role of language and language policy in migration from Poland to Norway, and the larger implications for emerging language and immigration policy in Europe. Initial fieldwork in Norway found that Polish workers without knowledge of the Norwegian language struggled to secure employment in the formal economy. The 2008 financial crisis intensified competition in the labour market and underscored fluency in Norwegian as a means of discriminating among workers. Comparative case studies of language schools revealed that these organizations are active participants in channeling Polish migrants' movements into a segmented labour market, often in ways that involve cooperation between private companies and the State. We frame the Norwegian case within the larger context of Europe and the trend there toward favoring integration over multiculturalism. The emergence of restrictive language policies in Europe may be interpreted as a legally and culturally acceptable means for discouraging access to rights associated with permanent residency or citizenship by work migrants from CEE countries, while at the same time permitting them access to the labour market for temporary work. The long-term consequences of such policies for European society are uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom was one of only three countries to allow migrants from accession countries to enter their labour markets more or less without restriction following European Union enlargement in May 2004. Therefore, it is important to establish the characteristics and labour market performance of migrants from these countries who have subsequently entered the United Kingdom. We principally analyse Labour Force Survey data to compare the labour market outcomes of recent migrants from Poland and other accession countries to those of earlier migrant cohorts from these countries as well as to those of other recent migrants to the United Kingdom. We find that the majority of post-enlargement migrants from the new member states have found employment in low paying jobs, despite some (especially Poles) possessing relatively high levels of education. It follows that recent Polish migrants typically have lower returns to their education than other recent arrivals. Migrants from the new member states who arrived immediately prior to enlargement have similar characteristics and labour market outcomes, apart from displaying a higher propensity to be self-employed. These results are discussed in the context of policy changes, migration strategies, assimilation effects and possible impacts on the sending countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, Poland has seen a dramatic increase in unemployment. Even though, mainly due to mass emigration, it has fallen, of late, the joblessness rate is still highest in the EU. It is pointed out that the strictness of employment protection legislation and high nonwage labor costs are behind this disappointing performance. The present article argues, in light of the insider-outsider theory that, due to the power of Poland's trade unions, a two-tier system has emerged, favoring employees on open-ended contracts and discriminating against job seekers. Unions, as classic insiders, thwart attempts to ease stringent fire-and-hire regulations to modify early-retirement schemes and to reform the public sector, which risks affecting the country's socioeconomic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the structuring capacities of mobility strategies that are oriented towards, and seek to challenge, institutional borders. Positioned within the debate on the role of context in the ‘new’ economic geographies, and tempted to adopt elements of the Marxist-inspired strategic-relational approach to the geographical study of institutions, it emphasizes the creative entrepreneurial ability of mobile and immobile actors to influence prevailing border contexts. It further aims to continue work on the ‘primitive’ mobility typical of the early years of post-Iron Curtain economic restructuring by discussing two timely cases. The first is that of the larger bazaars, or open-air markets, in the Polish city region of Lodz. The functioning of these bazaars very much depends on the openness of Poland's eastern border, since many buyers and sellers come from such countries as Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. The prospect of Poland's admission to the Schengen area has had major consequences for its eastern border, and hence for the visa circumvention strategies of the protagonists in the bazaar economy... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has proposed four competing views on an individual's fertility following a move from one social context to another. Each view has received support but has also been challenged in the literature. This study contributes to the existing discussion on fertility by providing an analysis of the effects of internal migration on the fertility of post-war Austrian and Polish female cohorts. The study is based on retrospective event-history data and applies intensity regression to both single and simultaneous equations. The analysis shows, firstly, that natives in urban areas in general and in large cities in particular have lower fertility compared with non-migrants in rural areas, both in Austria and Poland. Secondly, it reveals that people who move from one place to another adopt the fertility behaviour that dominates at the destination. Thirdly, we observe an elevated first-birth risk for women who move because of union formation, and a short-term postponement of childbearing for those who settle in a large city. The country comparison shows some differences in fertility variation across settlements, but overall the results are quite similar, despite the different post-war societal contexts of the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the illegal foreign migrants in Poland. Definition of basic concepts related to illegal migration; Presentation of major migration flow involving Poland; Identification of several principal levels in the functioning of smuggling or trafficking networks; Phenomena influencing the international movement of persons.

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses articles within the issue that focus on the topic of Polish migration after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, including information on Polish migrants in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain.

This article investigates migratory movements from and into Poland before and after the collapse of communism. The character and scale of these movements are of considerable significance, not only for politicians and societies in the CEE region, but also for European integration. The Polish eastern border is likely to remain one of the few places in Europe where it will be possible to control mobility on the East-West axis. One cannot discuss East-West mobility without discussing the emigration of Poles. Because recent immigration into Poland from the East should also be assessed from the perspective of both Poland and the West, the article examines emigration trends from Poland and immigration into Poland as well as the demographic characteristics of migrants. Only official statistical data are considered. Migration pressure from the East induced by the collapse of the system, combined with the restricted migration policy of Western Europe towards former USSR countries, were conducive to the formation of the Central European buffer zone. Poland is probably the best example of a buffer zone country. From the Western perspective it is also the most important country because the future of East-West migration depends on the extension of the visa regime by Poland. Irrespective of the introduction of new hurdles, there will be other ways of channelling the movement from the East via Poland to the West. Globalization of migration will inevitably increase flows from the East. It is argued that the key to future European migration lies also in the West, more specifically in the employment needs of western labour markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]