Prof. Paweł Kaczmarczyk from the Migration Research Center of the University of Warsaw points out that it is difficult to follow one specific state. “I am not convinced that there is one country and one specific model that could be indicated. However, in my opinion it is worth looking at specific solutions, specific programs and specific ideas. And let's pay attention to two examples, one of which will probably be surprising. It's Great Britain,” he said.
The professor reminds that Great Britain before Brexit benefited at the opening of borders after 2004, accepting employees from Central and Eastern Europe, which brought measurable benefits to the labor market and the state budget. “Great Britain used a model based on integration by the labor market, with limited access to security” – says Prof. Kaczmarczyk.
Asked about crime and terrorist attacks, he pointed out that they were not associated with Great Britain's migration policy. “Their scale is incomparable to the scale of migration. They had virtually no connection with the largest migration wave that concerned Central and Eastern Europe,” he assesses.
However, he adds bitter: “Despite the evidence of a beneficial migration effect on the United Kingdom, this issue was lost in the referendum. And Great Britain, among others, due to how the migration topic was played, came out of the structures of the European Union. However, in my opinion it was a pretty good model, based not on migration from third countries, but on migration from countries from Central and Eastern Europe.”
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Spain as an example
The second example that prof. Kaczmarczyk is Spain. “He focuses on activities at the local and regional level, on integration primarily through the labor market, education and regulatory activities, which make people whose status not entirely legal can become fully legal people” – explains prof. Kaczmarczyk. According to him, it is local initiatives, not nationwide campaigns, that bring the best results: they create a space for migrants' settlement, while minimizing negative effects and social tensions.
The professor emphasizes that migration is not a new phenomenon, but inscribed in human history since the dawn of history. “When I talk to researchers from France, the Netherlands or Italy, I have a sense of some total schizophrenia, because it turns out that the reality in these countries is different than what social media, Virale or public space is trying to show us,” he notes. It also draws attention to the risks: “In varied societies, we have tensions, a risk of increasing crime, the risk that not everyone will feel good in such an environment. This is a real challenge. “Therefore, in his opinion, you should openly identify challenges and think about how to reduce their negative impact:” We should wonder what you can do so that these risks are less, or that people do not feel the negative effects of migration. “
By asking the alternative, prof. Kaczmarczyk indicates that the choice does not boil down to isolation as in North Korea, but to skillful management of multicultural society: “The question is only whether we are able to imagine a world that looks different. Or rather, we try to function in a more diverse society, with all the pros, but also of course, downside and risks related to it.”
The whole conversation is available here.
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