Last year companies in Poland hired a record number of employees from China, Vietnam and India. 

The Labour Ministry issued 29,000 work permits in 2009, 60 percent more than in 2008. The majority of foreigners employed in Poland are Asians, mainly Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Nepalese. They usually work in industry, building, services and finance sectors. Most find employment in the central region of Mazovia, the northern region of Pomerania and southern region of Malopolska. 

The rise in foreign investment, especially in the finance sector, IT outsourcing and building industry have brought skilled, but cheap, labour to Poland. Highly-skilled construction workers from Asia -  welders, carpenters, excavator operators and scaffolding fitters – are being employed at the EURO 2012 building sites. 

Although it costs from 600 zloty (155 euro) to 5,500 zloty (1,400 euro) a month to fetch a worker from Asia, it is still profitable because Asian employees get minimum salaries of 1,300 zloty (335 euro) and Chinese construction companies are usually subsidized by the Chinese government.

“The employment of Asian workers is a rather risky business because they usually work in Poland only for a month or two and as soon as they find a better offer in Scandinavia or Germany, they immediately quit and leave,” says Marta Zieba-Szklarska from Alter FM Partners, company which employs workers from Nepal. 

The liberalization of regulations on hiring foreigners has also contributed to the increase of Asian workforce in Poland. A fee for issuing a work permit decreased from 900 zloty (230 euro) to 100 zloty (26 euro), employment procedures were shortened and the time of employment lengthened to three or even five years.