Emigration is good news for Poland.

• Author: Gillert, Piotr
• Position: CASE STUDY: Polish Migrants to Britain: Pros and Cons - Viewpoint essay

The flow of workers from Poland and other new democracies--symbolized by the Polish plumber in the collective European imagination--has triggered concern verging on alarm in Britain and other EU member states that have opened their job markets to EU newcomers. But it is not just the British tabloids that fret about Polish immigrants. The trend has also stirred a debate in Poland, where many people are concerned that the latest emigration wave constitutes a dangerous drain of motivated people and talent from the country.

This is nothing new for us. After "Poland" disappeared from the map in the late 18th century (partitioned among its neighbors), Poles have been one of the world's leading emigrant and "diaspora" nations--along with the Irish, Jews or Chinese. Poles left their homeland driven by poverty, foreign rule and political oppression. Often, this has worked to the benefit of the motherland. In the 1980s, Poles established in the West contributed greatly to the success of the Solidarity movement by providing financial and political support. For example, Jan Nowak-Jezioranski, a hero of the World War II government in exile of Poland, was instrumental--as a security adviser to President Ronald Reagan--in shaping U.S. policy towards the Communist regime in Warsaw and the whole Soviet bloc.

The current wave is different. For the first time in over 200 years, Poland is free, safe and prospering. People emigrate now because of high expectations. Young Poles want Western standards of living--now. In Poland, life is still catching up with the West after the disastrous half-century under Communist rule. It simply cannot provide enough opportunities for everyone. Emigration is a positive alternative, especially if it proves temporary.

Contemporary conditions have changed the meaning of emigration in many respects. Nowadays Poles living and working in other EU countries are not as disconnected from the reality back home as their predecessors. E-mail keeps them in touch with their families and friends; the Internet delivers details about every imaginable aspect of life in Poland.

Cheap airfares within the EU have blurred the meaning of "emigration." Someone told me the other day about a man from northwest Poland who works in London during the week and spends his weekends at home. Is he an emigrant or a commuter?

Contrary to what is often assumed, it is...