Austria – After more than a decade of net emigration, during which young people from Eastern Europe headed to wealthier Western European countries in large numbers, a recent shift has occurred – and gone largely unnoticed by those outside the region.

Many East European countries have begun to experience critical labour shortages in various sectors and are looking farther east to countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to fill these gaps.

As the largest economy in the region, Poland has led the way in bringing in foreign workers, with an estimate of over one million Ukrainians arriving in Poland in the past 12 months, primarily seeking jobs. But other countries in the region are also seeing growth, with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia and Bulgaria seeking foreign workers to meet labour market needs.

This increase in the rate of labour migration comes with great opportunities for workers, employers and societies in countries of origin and destination, but also carries a significant risk for migrant workers and their families.

The UN Migration Agency (IOM) is working with governments in the region to address these challenges and ensure labour mobility programmes are in place that result in positive outcomes for all.

In Georgia, for example, IOM is helping the Government build capacity in labour migration management, develop strategies aimed at ensuring responsible recruitment and protection of its nationals, and improve bilateral cooperation with neighbouring countries to regulate intermediary recruitment agencies and avoid exploitation in supply chains.

Likewise, as more Ukrainian workers head toward Eastern European destinations, the Ukrainian Government is working to develop programmes and mechanisms to better manage and facilitate the process, with IOM’s support. 

IOM’s office in Poland has been working directly with Polish employers to build their knowledge of legal procedures for hiring foreign workers, as well as best practices in managing a diverse and multicultural workforce. IOM’s Warsaw office has held over 60,000 consultations with migrant workers and maintains a widely used, multi-language info-line and website for migrant workers with important and practical information, including local laws, rights of workers, health insurance, educational opportunities and tax laws.

“Following the exponential growth in labour migration in the region, we have seen growing interest among governments of countries of origin and destination to collaborate and better manage labour mobility, so that it remains mutually beneficial and protects the rights of migrant workers,” says Michael Newson, a Labour Mobility Specialist at IOM´s Regional Office in Vienna.

Newson says the growth in labour migration in the region is likely to continue as mobility regulations ease, including the recent visa-free status of Georgia and Ukraine. In the near term, IOM aims to capitalize on the momentum in Eastern Europe to effectively manage labour mobility for mutual benefit and build on its already successful partnerships in the region.

For further information, contact Joe Lowry at IOM Vienna, Tel: +43 660 3776404, Email: jlowry@iom.int