International Organization for Migration (IOM)

option to recruit such foreigners. In many cases job agencies operating in Poland are
subsidiaries of agencies whose headquarters are in other states, so the range of the
search for a suitable employee can be wider in this instance.
At present, one can venture a statement that foreigners employed in the secondary
segment of the labour market, that is those with a low or medium level of education,
acquire information both about procedures for obtaining legal employment in Poland
and about job offers through informal channels. On the other hand, highly qualified
workers are usually employed via specialized job agencies.
Use of the existing European portals aimed at providing information
and offering intermediary services in the undertaking of
employment by migrants
The results of surveys among foreign workers available in Poland only sporadically
contain information about the use of European portals for accessing information
about opportunities for undertaking legal employment. If in the survey a question
is asked with regards to whether or not migrants are aware that they can use web
portals run by the European Commission, the answer is unfortunately unambiguous.
Immigrants do not have such awareness. Moreover, it seems that even if they had
such knowledge, the use of the EU immigration portal would be greatly hampered,
mainly because the information contained there is in English or in French, and
parallel information can be found on Polish portals where information is placed
in Russian and Vietnamese amongst other languages. An advantage of European
portals consists in the possibility to compare the basic regulations in place in
particular member states of the European Union.
The campaigns concerning the option for foreigners seeking employment in Poland
to use European portals have been limited to some information in the press and on
websites of Internet offices dealing with immigrants. It should not be assumed that
this information reached the foreigners and increased their awareness in this regard.
Establishment of ethnic minorities owing to migration networks
Despite the increase in the number of migrants coming to Poland to take up
employment, one can still hardly speak of the conception of ethnic minorities. This
follows from the temporary nature of both residence and employment of migrants
in Poland. At the same time in big cities, such as Warsaw or Katowice, we can note
the emergence of sites where the immigrant share is rising. Moreover there are seeds
of a dual labour market evolving, where immigrants account for a significant share
in a given sector. This is particularly visible in the agricultural and horticultural
sectors where Ukrainians are employed, particularly in the times of fruit picking,
and in home care, where we also observe the hiring of Ukrainian nationals. In the
latter case, however, these are mainly women. The establishment of a certain distinct
segment in the labour market is also visible in the case of the Vietnamese, who pursue
retail activities in large cities, mainly selling textiles. In their case we also deal with
permanent rather than temporary residence, as is the case amongst Ukrainians.
country studIes – POLAND
145