Employment of Foreigners in Agriculture in Poland

This paper aims at the assessment of the status and conditions of employment of foreigners in agriculture, in Poland, in the years 2010-2018. The analysis concerns assessing how the level of employment of foreigners in agriculture has been changing and what considerations determined the direction of such changes. For some years now the employment of foreigners in Poland has lost its marginal nature and is permanently integrated into some industries, mainly Polish agriculture. Agriculture absorbs a significant number of foreigners. Reasons for this phenomenon may be found in formal conditions for obtaining work permits by foreigners, social and economic conditions of agriculture and features of immigrants. The research covers the economic and social conditions for agriculture in Poland. Empirical analysis encompasses reports and data of the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs concerning the number and structure of granted work permits for foreigners, declarations of intention to commission work to foreigners, as well as data of the Centre of Migration Research of Warsaw University. Results of analysis show that the number of employed foreigners was significant in Polish agriculture in the years 2010-2018. Simplification of foreigner employment procedures in the migration policy was assigned to the agricultural industry. Initially, procedures facilitating employment in agriculture should be assessed positively. By 2014, the participation of foreigners employed in agriculture was increasing on a year-to-year basis. It resulted from economic and social conditions for Polish agriculture and personal features of immigrants. After 2014, the participation of employment in agriculture regularly decreased.