Ukrainians !!!! Soon this word in Poland can become a swear word. It is unlikely that representatives of other nationalities cause such abundant and contradictory emotions.

With representatives of other states everything is clear. Americans are friends, Europeans are neighbors and colleagues, Russians are enemies. But about the Ukrainians it is difficult to say who they are.

Many people at the mention of the word «Ukrainian» have images of a fighter of the antiterrorist operation in the Donbas, a radical or ancillary worker in the service sector.

And the appearance of Ukrainians in the role of heads of firms in the field of medium-sized businesses, and even more so as representatives of local authorities in Poland, was quite unexpected.

In the elections to local authorities in Poland, 92 Ukrainians were candidates. Moreover, 33 of them went to the councils, communes and regional assemblies. Applications have also been submitted for the posts of mayors. And one should not exclude the possibility of finding among them radical or nationalist-minded representatives, who in the long run are able to adversely affect domestic processes.

At the end of last week, posters appeared on the streets of Warsaw, depicting Ukrainian labor migrants.

The posters depict Ukrainian women working in Poland, most often in the lowest positions in the service sector as dishwashers, cleaners, store employees, or at harvest.

Whether this was simply an advertisement for industrious Ukrainians or a paid-up share is not yet clear. But one can say for sure that the reaction of the population was not unambiguous. Many such advertising puzzled and caused a mixed reaction. Some have said that such advertising contributes to the consolidation of stereotypes and humiliates Ukrainians.

With regards to labor migrants, the process is mutually beneficial. Poland not only gets relatively cheap labor. The issuance of a Polish card to Ukrainians and their employment will allow Warsaw to resist the onslaught of Brussels and refuse to accept migrants from Africa.

Over the past 10 years about 100,000 Ukrainians have received the Pole’s card. In fact, this can be equated to a residence permit, which greatly facilitates the integration of Ukrainian workers into Polish society.

However, according to the president of the personnel agency Personnel Service, Krzysztof Inglot, Ukrainians are beginning to use Poland as a transit point in their search for employment in the «gray zone»» of the economics in Germany. Or legally in the Baltic countries. And if in Germany Ukrainians follow in the hope of higher wages, the Baltic countries are attracted by the lack of a language barrier with similar incomes.

All this testifies to the increased ambitions of Ukrainians. If four years ago, visitors were happy with an income of $ 500, now they want more and they begin to stare at the average European wage level.

And for Poland, the benefits of the Ukrainians looks quite twofold. For indicators of the national economy, this is definitely a plus. But quantitative indicators can provide and representatives of other nationalities. Thus, the number of labor migrants from Belarus is comparable to Ukrainian figures.

But here it is worth noting the question of the fact that the government of Beata Szydlo is working to question the expediency of finding every migrant in the country. Warsaw is interested in every migrant coming with a clear understanding of the area in which he intends to seek employment and specific deadlines for leaving the country. Idly milling around the unemployed migrants the country does not need.

In Poland, there is a stereotype regarding Ukrainian immigrants – these are guests who arrived to earn money. And no more. It is hardly necessary to allow visitors to hold posts in government or make their way into medium and large businesses.

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