War Refugees and the Labour Market

Book excerpt: This book addresses the complex socioeconomic situation in the Polish-Ukrainian borderland, in the context of the labour market, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It analyses and assesses the measures which influence the process of Ukrainian war refugees’ adaptation to the Polish labour market, surveying the engagement of local actors, such as employers, labour market institutions and nongovernmental organisations. It examines the impact of the refugee crisis on this market, as well as mobilisation of various groups of actors in order to support this specific group of migrants in adapting to life in Poland. The authors argue that this phenomenon of the migration of war refugees confirms the thesis that political instability can be a factor in pushing people abroad as equally important as inequalities in prosperity. The book identifies the characteristic features of the stream of war refugees from Ukraine as a category of cross-border flows. Before the Russian attack, the influx of Ukrainians to Poland was due mainly to economic pressures, whereas, after the outbreak of war, Ukrainians’ motivation to cross the border with Poland as well as the structure of this migration stream have radically changed. The book offers in-depth insight into the development of borderland regions, and especially the cross-border labour market as a specific element of the borderland economic ecosystem. It highlights the positive outcomes of the migration crisis, which will serve as examples of best practice for other regions in Europe. This book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and policymakers concerned with regional development, including contact regions, as well as cross-border flows, the labour market and migration.