For the first time since 2004, more Poles are leaving the Netherlands than joining, because the economy is doing well in Poland. But the Netherlands now has a problem, because Poles have become an important part of the labor market.

They miss their country, they miss the culture, they miss their family. "And we also just want Jessica, our little one, to get to know Polish culture". And that is why Lukasz Dankiewicz (38), his wife Beata (41) and daughter moved to Poland in July.

Before the wind

But the other important reason is that Poland is doing well economically, as the economy is growing fast. "It’s good living there. The economy is improving, the quality of living is improving and the salary is also improving"says Lukasz.

The difference between the number of Poles who settle in the Netherlands and the number of Poles who leave has been shrinking for years. With the milestone 2025; the first year that the number decreased in the Netherlands. This trend also continued in the first 5 months of this year.

‘Holiday’ for 20 years

Lukasz came to the Netherlands 20 years ago to look for holiday work. "And that holiday has now lasted 20 years"he says. He started as an employee on the DAF production line and later founded his own employment agency to bring migrant workers from Poland to the Netherlands.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find people, he says: "This year is a particularly tight one on the labor market. We are looking for employees everywhere and so are our competitors. And everyone has a big challenge finding enough people."

Priceless

He sees that not only he, but also other residents of Poland are moving back. "I think the biggest reason is that the Netherlands is becoming increasingly expensive. If you compare house prices with five years ago and what the financial options are based on a job as a production worker, for example, then life is unaffordable, I think."

Researcher Gijsbert Werner of the Scientific Council for Government Policy saw it coming some time ago that more Poles, but also other workers from Central and Eastern European countries, would leave again. The tipping point came last year. "It was the first time in 25 years that more people of Polish descent left than came to the Netherlands"says Werner.

Migrant workers needed

He sees a number of reasons for this. "The economic conditions are very good in Poland. The economy is growing rapidly, unemployment is very low and prosperity is increasing. So it is becoming increasingly attractive for people of Polish descent to return to their home country to build their lives there."

But the Netherlands still needs migrant workers. "In recent years we have seen a shift towards labor migration from other Eastern European countries of origin, especially Romania and Bulgaria. But more and more people are also returning to those countries"says Werner.

High labor demand

And the Netherlands continues to age. "We have a high labor demand, we need people in construction, transport and increasingly in healthcare. So we continue to need migrant workers." So that’s why the question is; How do we deal with that situation in the future?

"For example, you can think of labor-saving technologies and automation, but you can also think about agreements with other countries of origin outside the EU, where people from could come here." A number of other European countries, which are in a similar position to us, have already signed deals with other countries. "For example, Germany has concluded a migration partnership with Tanzania, Spain with Colombia."

Agreements on conditions

And those kinds of deals have advantages, says Werner. "You make agreements about under what conditions, how many people can come to the country from outside the EU and how long they can stay. That gives a country more grip and control, which you do not have with labor migration from within the EU, such as from a country like Poland."

The Netherlands has not yet concluded any of those deals. "The new cabinet has announced a pilot, but no migration partnership with countries outside the EU has yet been concluded."

Grateful

For Lukasz Dankiewicz’s wife Beata, a return to Poland means a return home, even though he has been away for 20 years. "I missed going to the supermarket, for example, and just being able to speak in Polish." In addition, he did not always feel accepted in the Netherlands. "You just remain a foreigner."

Yet he is grateful for his time in the Netherlands "We have had a good time here in the Netherlands and I have also grown as a person. So it was a very good time." What will he miss most? "I like a croquette and good beef steaks in the restaurant where I like to eat."