Managing Migration in Ireland - European Commission - Europa

232Luck 04.01.2006, 0:17 amIt goes without saying that Poles flood the labour market of the UK and Irelandbecause they cannot go anywhere else among others (…). 200Additionally, as migration expert Izabela Grabowska-Lusińska has acknowledged(Interview 3), Ireland was perceived to welcome nationals of the new memberstates, and appeared to harbour no negative stereotypes of Poles.Economic factors were obviously of utmost importance, especially the demand forlabour on the Irish labour market. As Grabowska pointed out (2003: 27), the growthof the Irish economy (1997-2001) resulted in niche sectors for migrant workers. Atthe same time, the economic situation in Poland ensured the presence of strongpush factors. These co-occurring, and in a sense, complementary factors (pushfrom Poland and pull to Ireland) resulted in considerable migration from theformer to the latter. This view is supported by an AIB report (2006: 10) which notesthat “the ready availability of jobs has attracted a growing number of nonnationalsto Ireland”. The economic growth producing increasing demand forworkers was balanced by a growing labour supply, due to both increasing labourforceparticipation rates of the local population and the inflow of non-nationalworkers into Ireland. The least-attractive, low-paid jobs were very largely left to theimmigrants. These jobs, still with wages relatively higher than achievable inPoland, are being filled by low-skilled and/or non-English-speaking Polishimmigrants. On the other hand, the high demand for professionals and specialistsin banking, IT and engineering, attracts young and educated Poles as well. Not onlyare these jobs better paid, but they offer conditions for work and professionaldevelopment that are far better than those available in Poland. In addition, amotivated if inexperienced university graduate with a good command of Englishwould still tend to consider it easier to find a job (e.g., in a bank) in Ireland than inPoland, the latter’s labour market being saturated to the point where selectioncriteria have become inflated. 201For some Polish migrants, Ireland is perceived to offer more job opportunities thanin the United Kingdom where there are already large numbers of Poles. Polishmedia depictions of the post-enlargement influx of thousands of Poles combinedwith the belief that the UK labour market was already saturated, encouraged somePolish migrants to choose Ireland.There is the perception that Ireland offers similaradvantages to the United Kingdom (in terms of language, wages and legalemployment), but more jobs are available, with smaller numbers of Poles alreadyclaiming them.200. http://www.tpi.poznan.pl/ipb/index.php?showtopic=1327, accessed: 21.02.2006.201. makati, Rozwijaj swoja˛ karierę w Irlandii! [Develop your career in Ireland!],http://www.polskidublin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=182&Itemid=92, accessed: 06.02.2006.