As Central European governments fight to block EU-mandated quotas of asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq, Ukraine has emerged as the region’s source of desirable guest workers.
Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, and Estonian governments have set up recruiting programs in Ukraine. Poland’s government is changing its laws to bring in more Ukrainians, adding to the 1.3 million who are already working there.
“CzechInvest and SlovakInvest opened offices here,” said Daniel Bilak, director of UkraineInvest, the nation’s new investment agency. “And they are not here looking for Ukrainian investments. They are looking for Ukrainian workers.”
On the pull side of the region’s push-pull equation, Central Europe is now Europe’s high-growth, low-unemployment zone.
