NEW website for Belarusian migrants
On the website https://www.workineu.by/ you can find basic information on main legal pathways to the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia as well as Belarusians’ rights as labour migrants in these countries.
This website was created as part of the “CIRCMIGR: Improving circular migration between Belarus and Poland, Slovakia and Czechia” project co-funded by the International Visegrad Fund.
The main aim of the CIRCMIGR project was to examine social and economic effects of circular migration between Belarus and Poland, Slovakia and Czechia. The project’s core question was how managing circular migration could, in the long-term, help to optimise labour resources in the afore-mentioned countries, while protecting migrants’ rights.
Migration flows between Belarus and Poland, Slovakia and Czechia include significant circular movement that is characterised by a repetitive legal back and forth mobility. Data for the mentioned V4 states indicate that the number of Belarusian citizens granted various forms of work permits has been constantly rising. It has been identified that circular migration from Belarus contributes to ease current labour shortages in the mentioned V4 states, and especially in services sector and industry. At this end of migration flows, concerns are raised around such issues as respect for migrants' social and labour rights and efficient labour matching. On the opposite end, little is known about the impact of circular migration to Poland, Slovakia and Czechia on the Belarusian labour market and economy (e.g. investments from remittances and savings). Globally, studies on the issue are fragmentary and inconsistent.
The overall goal of the CRICMIGR project was to understand better how circular migration works and what impact it creates. Such assessment would provide a reliable basis for policy-making, advocacy and action promoting orderly and well managed circular migration. To this end, CASE and its partners have developed a circular migration feasibility study based on the evidence gained to date and on the regional labour market and macroeconomic forecasts for all the involved countries. The study includes a set of policy recommendations on organising and managing circular migration.
Promoting orderly circular movements and supporting current mobility by providing essential pre-departure information was one of the specific objectives of the CIRCMIGR project. Thus, the project partners decided to set up this website and produce a leaflet addressed to current and potential future migrants from Belarus describing main legal pathways to Poland, Slovakia and Czechia as well as their rights as labour migrants.
