Polish Cities of Migration analyses how Poland is transitioning to a new identity as a ‘country of immigration’, although its ‘country of emigration’ identity remains strong outside a handful of bigger cities. The book explores two interconnected puzzles: how Poland’s migration transition is influenced by the fact that it is simultaneously a country of emigration, and why migrants are spreading out beyond the metropolises, often settling with their families in smaller cities with limited labour markets, cities from which Poles themselves continue to migrate. It argues that migrants’ feeling of comfort in such locations can be explained mostly by network and lifestyle considerations. These link to impressions that local Poles – who used to be migrants themselves, and/or have family and friends abroad – possess pragmatic and accepting attitudes towards migration, particularly from Ukraine.

The book is based on in-depth interviews with 37 Polish return migrants, 70 Ukrainians and 17 other foreigners living in Kalisz, Płock and Piła. Key concepts include migration culture, livelihood strategies and place attachment. The analysis is situated within a wide range of existing secondary literature and contributes towards understanding the impact of migration on Poland, Ukrainian labour migration and wider global migration processes in the twenty-first century.