Social Policy Towards Foreigners in Poland after 1989 : An Outline of Issues

ABSTRACT
The author presents some essential issues of the research on migrations in Poland from the year 1989 on. The contribution presents the burning problem of the relation of the society, the public and the government reactions towards new and massive forms of migrations, for example the Vietnamese ethnic group and the runaways. Short-term “visits” of foreigners from the neighbouring states, who are offering services on the informal labour market, are as well considered migrations. Szymanska attempts to classify the forms of migrations, and statistically and normatively define them. Analysed are some conditions for the immigration of different categories of migrants, which the government is enforcing in the originating legislation. A description of an interesting case of ethnic economy of permanently immigrated Vietnamese is presented. The characteristic of the present policy of the government is inconsistency, superficiality and lack of a long-term perspective in regulating the migration phenomena. Also acquainting the public is either absent or unsatisfactory. The research is still in course, and at this point the author is content with setting questions for which she hopes to find answers to, and to elaborate references for the government.