Temporary nature of migrant work: reality or myth?

Lecturer: Anna Wojtyńska

According to the latest information from National Registry, the number of Polish citizens in Iceland reached 20.000.
In 2018, Polish workers made 18% of all employees in the country. But are they coming as temporary workers or are they rather considering moving to Iceland for good? Commonly individual undertake work abroad as a strategy to improve their economic situation in their home countries. Many live in so called divided households, providing their families from afar. However, frequently intendent as temporary migration alters into prolonged or even permanent settlement. Based on my research with Polish migrants in Iceland, I will discuss their mobility patterns and factors that influence individuals’ decision to come, stay or return. I will particularly look at the imaginative character of temporary migration and its possible ramification on migrants’ integration to the labour market and society at large.