European Migration Network

The European Migration Network (EMN) is publishing its new EMN Asylum and Migration Overview (AMO) 2024, alongside a Statistical Annex developed by Eurostat. The Overview  highlights key legal, policy and operational changes across a range of asylum and migration themes during the year 2024, as well as statistical trends in 2024 and comparisons with previous years. It draws on contributions from 30 National Contact Points (NCPs), as well as statistical contributions from EMN Observer countries,  and EU sources, including Eurostat statistics.

We kindly invite you to read the European Migration Network Annual Report on Migration and Asylum 2023.

The European Migration Network (EMN) has released its Annual Report on Migration and Asylum for 2023, published alongside a Statistical Annex developed by Eurostat. The Annual Report is a comprehensive document outlining the most significant legal and policy developments, trends and statistical data that occurred in 2023 at European Union level, across EMN Member and Observer Countries, including Norway, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia and statistical inputs provided by Armenia and Montenegro. 

We kindly invite you to read the EMN Annual Report – trends on migration and asylum in 2022.

The European Migration Network has released its Annual Report on Migration and Asylum, providing an overview of the key developments in the EMN Member and Observer Countries throughout 2022. The most significant event that marked this period was the influx of people escaping the war in Ukraine, which led to the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. This new challenge added to already existing ones including related to demography, labour market, and the impact of migration on Member States’ societies.

We kindly invite you to read the EMN publication - part 1 of the EMN Annual Report on Migration and Asylum, providing an overview of the key developments in the EU Member States, Norway and Georgia in 2021 (together with Statistical Annex) and part 2 - situation in Poland in 2021. 

While the COVID-19 crisis continued to have an impact on migration and asylum in 2021, political unrest exerted pressure on the asylum and reception systems. These challenges came in addition to persisting ones such as the need to update migration management systems and ensure the protection of refugees.

Part 1 of the Raport is available in English, part 2 - both in Polish and English.

W grudniu 2014 roku powołana przez Zespół do Spraw Migracji grupa robocza do spraw przygotowania planu wdrażania dla dokumentu „Polityka migracyjna Polski – stan obecny i postulowane działania” zakończyła swoją działalność.  Po przeprowadzeniu konsultacji społecznych i międzyresortowych nad planem wdrażania dokumentu programowego polityki migracyjnej w Polsce i następnie przyjęciu tekstu dokumentu przez Radę Ministrów w dniu 2 grudnia 2014 roku powyższa grupa została przekształcona w grupę roboczą międzyresortowego Zespołu do spraw Migracji odnośnie monitorowania realizacji Planu wdrażania dla dokumentu „Polityka migracyjna Polski – stan obecny i postulowane działania”. Powołanie do życia tej grupy spowodowało rozpoczęcie prac nad oceną założonych i podjętych działań. Przygotowane sprawozdanie z realizacji działań w zakresie migracji i azylu w roku 2014 odniosło się do ewaluacji ponad 190 rekomendacji.

Ponadto w dniu 1 maja 2014 roku w życie weszły przepisy ustawy o cudzoziemcach uwzględniające szereg ułatwień dla cudzoziemców chcących zamieszkać na terytorium Polski.

Co się tyczy skali imigracji do Polski, w 2014 r. odnotowano ogromny wzrost liczby wniosków w sprawach o legalizację pobytu. Wojewodowie przyjęli od cudzoziemców 65 172 wnioski w sprawach o pobyt czasowy, pobyt stały i pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE, co oznaczało wzrost liczby wniosków o 34% w stosunku do roku poprzedniego. Była to w dużym stopniu konsekwencja sytuacji na Ukrainie i wejścia w życie z dniem 1 maja 2014 roku nowej ustawy o cudzoziemcach. Poza Ukrainą, najwięcej wniosków o legalizację pobytu składali obywatele Wietnamu, Chin, Białorusi i Rosji. 

In the course of the year 2013, intensive works were performed on preparing a plan to implement this policy paper in the area of national migration policy. On 12 December 2013, the Parliament of the Republic of Poland adopted a new act on foreigners, but works on the act started in 2011. The provisions of the act to largely simplify, in accordance with the principles indicated in the policy paper, the procedures for the legalisation of the stay of foreigners and enlarge a group of foreigners who may benefit from facilitations in the process of settling in Poland. It is worthwhile to point out that a special place in this group is occupied by foreigners with Polish origin and foreigners coming from countries neighbouring with Poland. 

In 2013, works were also in progress on the preparation of important policy papers in the area of migration and asylum, i.e. as regards the integration of foreigners within the territory of Poland and the provision of free legal aid to foreigners. The first of them was submitted to inter-ministerial and public consultation in autumn 2013 and once they are taken into account in the material, it will be published as a strategic document of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. The last one, on the other hand, is in the process of consultation within the inter-ministerial Committee for Migration. 

Year 2012 was full of events that had significant influence on foreigners coming to Poland and on a situation of migrants on the Poland’s territory. Among them should be mentioned a strategic document adopted by the Council of Ministers on 31 July 2012, determining basic assumptions of the Polish migration policy oriented to the promotion of legal migration to Poland (“Migration Policy of Poland – the Current State of Play and the Further Actions”), an Act authorising an irregular stay of a foreign national in our country that has come into force (in result of the regularisation, 4 415 foreign nationals legalised their stay in Poland), which has markedly contributed to the increase of a number of residence cards issued to foreign nationals, or hosting the UEFA EURO 2012, European Football Championship by Poland and Ukraine, which developed the need to intensify control at the country borders. In course of the year, intensive legislation works on a bill on foreigners were carried out. The act is expected to come into force in 2014. Additionally, the provisions of the so-called Return and Blue Card Directives were transposed to national legal orders.

W 2011 roku, podobnie jak w roku poprzednim, nie odnotowano gwałtownego wzrostu liczby migrantów zainteresowanych długoterminowym pobytem lub chęcią osiedlenia się na stałe na terytorium Polski. Cele migracyjne cudzoziemców realizowane były w zasadzie w ramach istniejącego już systemu legalizacji pobytu poprzez uzyskiwanie stosownych zezwoleń pobytowych (w tym zezwolenia na osiedlenie się oraz zezwolenia na zamieszkanie na czas oznaczony). Rok 2011 był kolejnym obfi tującym w istotne dla Polski wydarzenia mające bezpo- średnio lub pośrednio wpływ na problematykę migracji i azylu. Do najważniejszych z nich zaliczyć należy m.in.: 

• prezydencję Polski w Radzie UE w drugiej połowie 2011 roku, 
• kontynuację przygotowań do organizacji mistrzostw Europy w piłce nożnej w roku 2012 na terytorium Polski oraz Ukrainy (EURO 2012), które związane były m.in. z koniecznością przygotowania analizy ryzyka zagrożenia nielegalną migracją w czasie trwania mistrzostw oraz pogłębienia współpracy z Ukrainą w zakresie zarządzania przejściami granicznymi i przeprowadzania wspólnych kontroli granicznych, a także przeciwdziałania nielegalnej migracji; 
• przyjęcie w dniu 20 lipca 2011 roku przez międzyresortowy Zespół do Spraw Migracji dokumentu strategicznego „Polityka migracyjna Polski: stan obecny i postulowane działania”, który kierunkuje obecne i planowane zmiany w polskim systemie migracyjnym; 
• przyjęcie w dniu 16 sierpnia 2011 roku przez Radę Ministrów założeń do nowej ustawy o cudzoziemcach, 
• przyjęcie ustawy z dnia 28 lipca 2011 roku dotyczącej zalegalizowania pobytu nielegalnie przebywających cudzoziemców na terytorium Polski (tzw. abolicja dla nielegalnie przebywających cudzoziemców) oraz wprowadzenia do polskiego ustawodawstwa pojęć relokacji i przesiedleń cudzoziemców;
• utrzymanie rozporządzeniem Ministra Pracy i Polityki Społecznej z dnia 20 lipca 2011 roku tzw. „procedury oświadczeniowej”, jako sprzyjającej migracji cyrkulacyjnej oraz tymczasowej cudzoziemców; 
• nowelizacja dotychczas obowiązującego porozumienia między Ministrem Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji oraz IOM w zakresie dobrowolnych powrotów cudzoziemców opuszczających terytorium Polski poprzez objęcie możliwością ubiegania się o uczestnictwo w programie dobrowolnych powrotów osób posiadających status ofiary handlu ludźmi; oraz 
• opracowanie założeń do ustawy regulującej zagadnienie sankcji dla podmiotów zatrudniających cudzoziemców, która została przyjęta przez Radę Ministrów w dniu 20 grudnia 2011 roku. Jej przygotowanie związane było z koniecznością wdrożenia do polskiego porządku prawnego przepisów tzw. dyrektywy sankcyjnej. 

In 2010, the political debate in Poland was strongly influenced by the presidential plane crash near Smoleńsk as well as the presidential and local elections held in the second half of the year. Given this context, it should be noted that migration, asylum and integration played rather minor role in terms of public concerns.

However, due to economic implications of an ageing population and a tight situation in the labour market in the coming years, Poland faces the necessity to open its doors to immigrants and prepare appropriate tools to help manage this phenomenon. Those tools are included inter alia in the draft “Migration Policy of Poland”- first strategic document in the field of migration, which was elaborated by the advisory body to the Prime Minister in the course of the year. 

During the reported period no sharp increase in number of migrants interested in long-term stay or seeking to settle in Poland was recorded. Migrants expectations were met under the existing legalization of stay system – a residence permit for fixed period or a permit to settle.

Nevertheless, the year 2010 in Poland was characterised by much legislative activity, focused on amending migration regulations. Significant legislative amendments included changes to visa regulations related to the implementation of the ‘EU Visa Code’. Moreover, amendments to the legal provisions concerning the rights of EU nationals and their family members in order to introduce series of facilitations for those groups of foreigners were being laid down. Equally important were the Penal Code amendments which introduced into Polish law a definition of human trafficking, as a result of which the scale of trafficking will be significantly limited.

For last few years, as a period of fast economy growth in Poland, some branches of national economy noticed a need for work force – as one of number of solutions immigration of workers from non-EU countries were taken into account. As a general principle – a third country national may carry out work on the territory of the Republic of Poland if she/he was issued a work permit (on application of the employer) by the local authority, respective with regard to employer’s business premise. Among various exceptions from the necessity of holding a work permit by non-EEA nationals (outlined especially in the Act of 2004 on promotion of employment and labour market institutions – last amendment 2009 - and several ordinances of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy), one particular exemption concerns the citizens of neighbouring states (Ukraine, Belarus, Russian Federation) and Moldova (based on mobility partnership) – countries of higher priority for Polish foreign and neighbourhood policy. Moreover amendment of Act on promotion of employment and labour market institutions introduced changes related to penalty of illegal employment of foreigners.

In February 2009 Inter-ministerial Committee for Migration, an advisory body to the Prime Minister consisted of high officials representing main migration stakeholders took decision on appointing the Working Group for developing Migration Strategy of Poland. Its work should result in elaboration of the proposals including the description of the legal, factual and institutional situation in the area of migration, foundations of the state migration policy, short- and long-term activities as well as monitoring of this policy implementation.

The report is the first annual policy report prepared for EMN by the Polish National Contact Point to the European Migration Network. It covers events which took place from 1 January 2008 – 31 December 2008. The year 2008 brought very important changes in the law concerning foreigners. Under the amended Act of 13 June 2003 on granting protection to foreigners within the territory of the Republic of Poland, a new form of international protection was introduced – a subsidiary protection, which significantly changed the situation of people who did not fulfil the conditions to be granted a refugee status according to the Geneva Convention, but who unquestionably needed the protection. Due to new regulation those people became entitled to benefit from the integration aid. Regulations concerning foreigners coming from vulnerable groups were more precise – among other things, regulations concerning unaccompanied minors. Act on the amendments to the Act on foreigners of 13 June 2003 and other acts were introduced in order to, inter alia, implement regulations enabling foreigners to travel within the framework of the local border traffic.

On 30 March 2008, a new Act of 7 September 2007 on the Card of the Pole, entered into force. Under this regulation foreigners of Polish origin can apply for a document called the Card of the Pole (Karta Polaka) confirming their belonging to the Polish Nation and granting them certain rights.

January 2008 was the last month for foreigners stayed in Poland illegally and met special conditions to legalize their stay according to the “regularisation” provisions operational since 20th July 2007. Due to the fact that a relatively small number of immigrants (coming mostly from Viet Nam and Armenia) took advantage of this opportunity, the program did not have a significant impact on the scale of illegal immigration in Poland.
2008 was the first year when Poland fully applied the Schengen acquis – which on the one hand significantly influenced on the functioning of the Border Guard and on the other hand – brought about longer procedure for persons crossing the eastern Polish border (border between Poland and Belarus, Russia, Ukraine).

In 2008 the government focused among other things on changes in access to the job market.