Ukrainians ahead of Duda among "drivers" of Poland’s economy - media

Ukrainians working in Poland are considered one of the main drivers of the Polish economy, beating President Andrzej Duda in the corresponding ranking by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.

The publication compiled a rating of the 50 most influential players in the Polish economy, Europeiska Pravda reports.

Ukrainian workers are runners-up following the country’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecky.

Read alsoWorld-famous clothing brands choose Ukrainian sewing factories over cheap labor"A collective hero of the Polish economy, and at least an important and clear thing in our labor market,” the publication wrote about Ukrainians working in Poland. “After the Russian aggression in Crimea and the conflict in Donbas, we began to notice Ukrainians not only in our agriculture and gardening, but also in many other industries.".

The newspaper cites the data released by the Ministry of Labor, stating that in 2017 Polish businesses announced their intention to employ almost 1.7 million Ukrainians. The number of such applications has increased by more than a third, while the migration wave from the east has increased by 350% since 2014.

"The wave of migration from the east, in addition to reducing the workforce deficit, also positively affects the state of the social security system thanks to the contributions paid by immigrants. 308,000 Ukrainians were insured by the Social Insurance Administration at the end of September 2017; their number increased by about 130,000," the newspaper said.

At the same time, the publication expresses its concern that the rich countries of Western Europe can attract Ukrainian migrants over time.

"We cannot count on the new employees staying with us forever. The government has no migration policy and no idea how to allow Ukrainians, Belarusians and others to gain a foothold in Poland. When the rich countries of Western Europe open their doors to them, the magnet of higher salaries could attract them across the Oder," the newspaper writes.

Read alsoPolish president signs highly controversial Holocaust bill, drawing rare U.S. rebuke – mediaThe third position in the ranking was given to President Andrzej Duda, and the fourth - to French President Emmanuel Macron. On the fifth spot is Minister of Justice Zbigniew Zebro.

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that Ukrainians working in Poland were saving the economy of the neighboring country.