With hundreds of thousands of Poles expected to take advantage of the opening up of the labour markets in Germany and Austria on 1 May, migration expert Krystyna Iglicka has told Der Spiegel that Germans have nothing to fear.

On the contrary, “they should be pleased,” Iglicka argues.

“Germany needs immigrants. The demographic situation in the country is fatal, partly because Germans are having too few children... Demographers estimate that Germany needs 300,000 extra workers every year if the country is to maintain growth at 2 to 3 percent.”

Iglicka drew comparisons with the UK, highlighting that the influx of hard-working Poles to Britain had boosted the economy.

“Newcomers are motivated, hard-working, avid consumers and pay tax.”

She likewise noted that as in Britain, the Poles will be prepared to take on jobs that many Germans are keen to avoid.

“Germans don't want to harvest asparagus, for example, and fewer and fewer of them care for the elderly.”

Iglicka also believes that Poles are unlikely to prove threatening in the cultural sphere.

“After all, they come from a Christian background, do not form ethnic enclaves and generate far less fear than immigrants from, say, Africa or Bangladesh.”

The Polish expert concluded that Germany had missed “a golden opportunity” by not opening up its labour market earlier. Many dynamic workers had gone to the UK, and now EU states are “locked in a battle” trying to secure a workforce.

“It's not Germans who should be worried about the next wave of immigration, but us Poles,” she says.

“Our workers are being lured away, but nobody wants to come to Poland.” (nh)