Poland’s government has adopted a new migration strategy: changes for 2025-2030

Poland’s Migration Strategy 2025-2030, adopted in October 2024, is designed to respond to the challenges of the increasing influx of migrants and the changing geopolitical situation. What changes are ahead of us in the coming years and what do they mean for foreigners and employers?

A new approach to migration management

The government’s information on the introduction of the government’s migration strategy for 2025-2030 indicates that in a very short period of time Poland has changed its status from an emigration state to an immigration state, as there are currently 2.5 million foreigners in Poland with the intention of long-term residence. 

In addition, we are facing a crisis caused by the actions of Russia and Belarus at the state border. Hence the need to adapt the migration legislation to the current situation.

It is pointed out that the adoption of this document is intended to enable Poland’s position to be highlighted in the context of the ongoing debate on migration at the European forum. The fundamental changes are to concern:

• entry into the territory of the Republic of Poland,
• access to national and international protection,
• principles of taking up employment by foreigners,
• migration of students, integration,
• citizenship
• repatriation.

Further implementation of the Strategy will be carried out within two timeframes: 2025-2027 and 2028-2030.

Changes in migration policy: What will change?

1. Liberalisation of the rules for issuing work permits in deficit occupations, while identifying surplus occupations where over-permitting is undesirable.
2. Increasing the digitalisation of residence legalisation procedures to relieve offices of the burden of processing paper applications.
3. Introducing enrolment quotas for foreigners in higher education institutions in order to curb the practice of bogus student visa applications.
4. Changes to the rules of acquiring Poland’s citizenship through recognition as a citizen (removal of the possibility to certify the knowledge of the Polish language on the basis of graduation from a school with Polish as the language of instruction, introduction of the so-called ‘citizenship test’ which is to include questions concerning Polish culture and social norms).
5. Introduction of a requirement to reside in Poland before a decision on restoration of citizenship is issued.
6. Restoration of control at the state borders.
7. Introducing a transparent visa policy, as the current rules are unclear – there is no transparent procedure for issuing visas.
8. Creating a system of incentives for employers active in hiring and integrating foreigners.
9. Modifying the system of functioning of employment agencies.

Controversies related to the adopted strategy: What is questionable?

Experts point out that, among other things, the Strategy lacks to address housing problems faced by foreigners. Concerns were also expressed by the Ombudsman with regard to the envisaged possibility of suspending the right to accept applications for asylum, as the grounds for its suspension were not specified, which raises the rightful fear of arbitrary suspension of this right.

Furthermore, it is stressed that part of the problems in the migration sphere is due to inadequate organisation and lack of training of the public administration responsible for migration proceedings. Unfortunately, also in this regard, there is a lack of demands on the part of the Poland government – apart from increasing the digitalisation of the proceedings in question.

A strategy with potential, but also with challenges

Poland’s new migration strategy for 2025-2030 only provides a certain outline of the direction Poland intends to take in the coming years. While some of the solutions, such as greater digitalizatio of migrant proceedings, promise to be positive, some of the assumptions seem ill-suited to reality.

The hope remains in public consultations, which will make the draft complete and tailored to the needs of both state security and migrants, who have to navigate the area of intricate regulations.

If the changes projected in the Migration Strategy may change your situation or plans, we invite you to contact our migration department for consultation.