Poland has become a significant destination for migrant workers from outside the EU, particularly from Asia and Latin America. An Al Jazeera investigation published in 2024-2025 documented concerns about the recruitment and treatment of these workers.
The Investigation
Al Jazeera's year-long investigation documented the experiences of workers from the Philippines, Colombia, Nepal, and Bangladesh who had been recruited to work in Poland. The investigation found that many workers paid significant fees to recruitment agents, with some paying the equivalent of several months' or years' wages to secure employment.
The investigation focused on agency Jober24, which supplied workers to poultry processor Plukon. Workers reported paying fees ranging from approximately $4,000 to over $11,000 for factory positions. Some workers reported that the wages they received were lower than what had been promised.
Work Permit Data
According to Polish government data cited in the investigation, work permits issued to Colombian nationals increased from approximately 4,000 in 2022 to 38,000 in 2024. This increase reflects Poland's growing role as a destination for non-EU workers.
Poland's position as an EU member state with relatively open immigration policies has made it attractive to workers from outside the EU. However, the rapid increase in work permits has raised concerns about whether regulatory systems have kept pace with the growing migrant worker population.
Debt Bondage Concerns
Irena Dawid-Olczyk of Polish anti-trafficking organization La Strada commented on the findings. She noted that recruitment fees can create debt relationships that make workers vulnerable to exploitation. "Some agencies lend them money for the ticket," she stated. "That debt ties them to exploitative conditions. It is a form of bonded labor."
The ILO has identified recruitment fees as a key factor in debt bondage, a form of forced labor. When workers arrive in debt, they may feel unable to leave employment regardless of conditions until the debt is repaid.
