Warsaw, 23/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - On 17-18 November, the Polish Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Union and Eurofound organised a conference on the social repercussions of migration in host countries and countries of origin.
Organisers based their ideas on the forecast that in 2060, Europe's population will have fallen by almost 79,000,000 people. It will then, therefore, only represent 4-5% of the world's population. Demographic problems are already beginning to have repercussions, with Europe ageing prematurely, which is the case in Poland. If it is to maintain its economic ranking, Europe will need demographic strength. The former Polish minister for labour Jolanta Fedak and the commissioner for employment and social affairs Laszlo Andor agreed that “migration needs to be managed and not just limited or controlled. If the EU is to maintain its ranking in the world, it has to take in migrants”.
Joining the EU guarantees new member states the status of “rich country”, where migrants from neighbouring countries go to work. To facilitate their access, Poland has simplified rules for obtaining work permits for citizens from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and even Moldavia. Fedak explained that “in 2010, more than 180,000 declarations were registered, which enabled Polish employers to take in workers and citizens from these countries for a short period”.
The influx of migrant workers, however, from outside the EU, poses a number of problems relating to social integration. Representatives from “old Europe” emphasised: “You will need to rethink the concept of multiculturalism and take advantage of the experience of the older member states”. Member states are committed to preparing for these challenges today “so that they are not taken by surprise in the future”. (VW/trans/fl)