Foreigners in Poland are becoming more and more numerous. Due to the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine, the number of migrants in the country on the Vistula has reached a record level. Among 387,000 registered declarations of intent to employ foreigners, nearly 373,000 are for citizens of Ukraine. Simultaneously with the increase in the influx of migrants from the east, there has been a rise in illegal employment and other abuses by employers. In order to limit these phenomena, the organizer of the social project 'Safe Work in Poland', the EWL Employment Agency, in cooperation with the Center for the Study of Human Trafficking at the University of Warsaw, published the 'Guidebook for Foreigners on the Polish Labor Market'.
'To enjoy all the benefits of democracy, you need to know a lot. From the perspective of a foreigner, it is important to know the traditions and customs of the country where you live. Another important thing is knowledge of your own rights in that country. When crossing the border, we symbolically take on the obligation to respect local laws,' explains the head of the Center for the Study of Human Trafficking at the University of Warsaw. 'The purpose of guidebooks like ours can be summed up in the thesis: the world belongs to each of us and we can take something from it for ourselves, provided that we respect local laws, know our rights and fulfill our obligations.'
The guidebook presents answers to the most important questions that concern foreigners: legal residence, work and other issues related to the safety of staying in another country. The authors of the guidebook explain in an accessible way where to look for work, how to properly conclude a contract with an employer, what rights and obligations employees have. The guidebook is enriched with legislative innovations, illustrative examples of human trafficking, forced labor, discrimination at work, and most importantly, ways to combat them. The publication is supplemented with advice on the basics of insurance and tax obligations for foreigners.
The electronic version of the guidebook can be downloaded for free on the project's website 'Safe Work in Poland', or you can get its printed version at the consultation point at the Western Railway Station in Warsaw, where it will be available in a limited edition. The guidebook will be published in Ukrainian and Polish.
'In June, a second guidebook will be available, again free of charge, prepared by experts from our project. The knowledge base of this guidebook will be focused on employers who hire foreigners,' says Zbigniew Wafflard, coordinator of the 'Safe Work in Poland' project. 'We want both foreigners and employers who hire them to receive comprehensive information in this area, thereby taking another step towards reducing negative phenomena on the Polish labor market.'