Seasonal Employment of Foreigners in a Country Implementing a Restrictive Immigration Policy: The Case of Poland

Purpose: The primary purpose of the present study was to discuss the most critical legislative corrections and assess them in the context of the migration policy implemented in Poland. Moreover, the article presents and provides the interpretation of data aggregated by the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy, characterizing the scale of the demand for the short-term foreigners’ work. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study presents the results of analyzing the content of legal acts. Moreover, it provides a compilation and interpretation of data aggregated by the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy, characterizing the scale of the demand for the short-term foreigners’ work. Findings: The introduction of a new type of work permit for a foreigner (S-type work permission) and the correction of the so-called simplified procedure are actions that should positively affect the accuracy of measuring the scale of the phenomenon, the level of control over this type of employment, as well as the activity of foreigners coming to Poland in order to provide seasonal work. Practical Implications: There is a concern that the lack of possibility to apply the simplified procedure in some sections of the Polish Classification of Activities may contribute to the undesirable increase in the scale of illegal employment of foreigners in seasonal work. Originality/Value: Demographic aging and the resulting labor force shortages constitute a socio-economic problem contributing to changes in the shape of migration policies in specific countries. In this context, the countries implementing the so-called restrictive migration policy face particular challenges.