Ukrainians are leaving Poland, and they're replacing them. "There will be nothing to return to."

• More and more workers from Asia and South America are coming to Poland.
• About 30,000 people have already arrived from Colombia and the Philippines alone.
• Experts note that these foreigners are increasingly replacing Ukrainians who left for the West after the outbreak of the war.

In recent years, approximately 30,000 people from Colombia and the Philippines have come to Poland. Will these people permanently replace Ukrainian workers? Michał Solecki, CEO of Worksol Group, emphasizes that this is already happening.

The market doesn't like a vacuum, and workers from Asia and South America have filled it. If the war in Ukraine ends, and with it all the programs that allowed people to work in the West, and they have to return, then in my opinion, no one in Poland will fire an Asian or Colombian worker to make room for a Ukrainian. They will have nothing to return to," he emphasized in an interview with "WP Finanse."

Let us recall that after the outbreak of the war, Ukrainians took advantage of the opportunity and left Poland for countries that significantly relaxed the conditions for hiring them.

More than 1.17 million foreigners already work in Poland , which is a six-fold increase compared to 2015, according to SW Research.

According to ZUS data, in September 2024, the largest group of working foreigners were Ukrainian citizens (779,000). However, the number of employees from:

The greatest demand for foreign workers is in industry. Foreigners also find employment in:

• administrative services,
• transport,
• warehouse management.

The following positions were taken:

• construction,
• HoReCa,
• trade.

The greatest demand is for people performing simple jobs, as well as production workers, warehouse workers and machine and equipment operators.