No future in Germany? Why skilled Polish workers are going home | DW Documentary

For the first time in over 35 years, more Poles are returning to their homeland than are moving to Germany. It's like Germany is just stuck in the past, but Poland has continued to develop and is ahead of Germany in many ways. My future is in Poland, no doubt. I want to start a family there. That is a problem for the German economy. Without Polish employees, some German logistics companies simply couldn't operate. Why do so many want to leave Germany behind? Because everything is too expensive. In Poland, I feel like I can do anything. In Germany, it's like I can do nothing. Poland now seems to promise many returners a better future. Kamila Gierko has already made the leap. At 44 she decided to make a new start and move from Berlin to Stettin a few months ago. Germany was basically my home. Germany is basically my homeland. I was eight years old when my family, my parents and my sister, moved from Poland to Germany. I went to school, studied and spent my early adult life in Germany. In Poland, my father was a vice director of a company, but he moved to Germany and worked there on a factory floor. The standard of living he could afford as a regular factory worker was much better than as a vice director in Poland. He just wanted to give his family a better life. I met my future husband during a practicum and moved to Germany for love in 2006. Thanks. Absolutely. At first, I totally loved the city, its cultural scene, its openness, and the energy in the air back then. The city was... But her dissatisfaction with Germany has grown in the last years. We were pressured to move out of our apartment, even though we had lived there for years. There were so many little problems in daily life. The mail wasn't being delivered, the health insurance premiums, social security contributions and taxes were insanely high. When I wanted to lease a car, they said my credit rating wasn't good enough. She also criticizes the obstructive bureaucracy and the lack of digitization. It feels like Germany is just stuck in the past. It reached a certain level and decided that was good enough. It didn't have to try anything new or try to develop itself further. But Poland has continued to develop, and it's ahead of Germany in many ways. Over the last few days. Kamila shows us the small weekly market in Stettin as an example. Cash is not required here. Can I have some kefir, please? Even the smallest payments pose no problem. Thank you. Thank you. Fresh milk? Also, man can Even at the smallest market stand or food truck or hot dog stand, you can pay practically everywhere, either by phone or with a bank card. ...with a card or by phone number. Michael Sunkla runs a transport and logistics firm in Oranienburg, in the state of Brandenburg. He has had to pitch in more and more in the warehouse since two Polish employees left the company a few months ago. If we move the forklift over here and move the pallets out of the way we might have some space here, like it was two weeks ago. Unfortunately we're short staffed right now, so our two best people will have to handle this. We'll try to make some space to store this. Polish employees are immensely important, especially in the logistics sector. They make up just over half our workforce. In some firms they make up 80-90% of the staff. Without Polish employees, some German logistics companies simply couldn't operate. Or the supply chain situation in Germany would be very difficult. Thank you very much. Social, political and economic relations between Poland and Germany have never been as close as they are today. But 35 years after signing the Treaty of Good Neighbourship, a change is in the air. For the first time, more Poles are returning to their homeland than are moving to Germany. A Polish employee left us in January. I've since learned that he is working for a Polish company for a net salary similar to what he had in Germany. If this lets him spend more time with his family and his living costs are lower in Poland since he doesn't have to pay to commute to Germany, then I can't blame him for setting his sights on Poland. Poland is taking a different approach to keeping and winning back workers. Families with two children and an annual income of up to an equivalent of 33,000 euros will no longer have to pay income tax. The new law takes effect in 2026. This is, I think, That is a very good, intelligent way to motivate workers to stay in their own country or to return to it. Thank Here, all the state can think of is to massively increase the minimum wage. But the worker's net income doesn't actually increase. you Of course, my gross salary is higher in Germany, very but it's my net income that pays the bills. And if my net income is almost the same, then there's no reason for me to go to Germany to work. much. Still, he needs some skilled staff. How does our order book look this week? We have enough that we could use another truck. But we don't have the staff. No, we don't. Staff turnover isn't the only increasingly serious problem Michael Sunkler is facing. The fact that fewer people are moving to Germany also hurts his chances of finding new staff quickly. Anna, how many people have applied for the warehousing job here so far? Not too many yet. A fair number have looked at the posting, more than 500 so far. And it's been liked 14 times. But only five have actually applied so far. Click on it. So far, five people have signed up for it. That's not many considering it's been online for over a month. What about the driver position in the Leipzig area? Yeah. A few more have applied for that, definitely more than 10, but no one qualified so far. I haven't found any ads yet. No qualified applicants, okay. Südkreuz is likely to lose another employee. Truck driver Tomasz Mocadwo is doing several runs through Berlin and Brandenburg today. He's lived in Germany for 10 years. The earnings used to be better here than in Poland, but those days are over. I earn around 2500 euros per month at this company. That's not very much. I pay about 900 euros for rent plus internet, phone, fuel and everything else. With that pay, that's really bad. Luckily my wife and I are healthy and we both work so we can get by. We can save a little bit every month. A few years ago, I could put away a lot more. Because everything is too expensive. That's the problem. Electricity, fuel, everything is too expensive. A lot of Poles are moving back to Poland because there's a lot of work there, but not enough workers. And the pay is the same as here. Now the 38-year-old is just waiting for the right time to move back to Poland. Here are the papers. I have to see how many pallets I have. I've got 57 pallets. I might hold out here for a few more years and then move back to Poland. All my family is there. My 11-year-old daughter will be the first one to finish school here in Germany. Then we'll move back to Poland. Panek has crossed over the Oder River from Germany to Poland daily for the past four years. As part of a dual German-Polish law degree, he commutes back and forth between two universities. I'm here for work today, setting up for one of our lectures. Assembling equipment is part of his student job at the two campuses. I have two jobs at the university. I'm a research assistant here at the Collegium Polonicum. And I'm a student reporter at the Viadrina Law School in Frankfurt. I manage one of the university's social media channels. Philipp was born and grew up in Germany, but his parents come from Poland. The assembly instructions aren't in the package as they should be. When Philippe began his studies, he planned to establish his career in Germany. At the beginning I was asked During the very first German lecture, we were asked what we hoped for by studying law. And one professor said, I don't know, One professor said that if we wanted to achieve justice, we were in the wrong place. If we wanted to make money, then it was a good job. I was there for the money, so I was sure I would stay in Germany. The starting salary is significantly higher in Germany than in Poland. But over time, my priorities have changed. Family and love have become more important. Family and love in general. My parents moved to Poland. My parents have moved back to Poland, and I don't have any other family living in Germany. I don't know how she lives there. I think that's a big reason why I want to go to Poland. Yeah, I think that's also an essential aspect of why I want to go back to Poland. Now you can live very well there and even earn fairly well. Not as well as in Germany at the beginning, but the Polish economy is getting stronger and stronger. The economy of Poland... I see a lot of potential there. There's a lot of potential there. Filip Panek has now decided to leave Frankfurt-on-der-Oder, which borders Poland and moved to the country where his parents were born. He is also choosing a working culture very different from Germany's. That you don't rent out. It annoys me a bit that you go to meeting after meeting without really accomplishing anything. I don't know if you can hear anything. It seems more honest in Poland. If you say you're going to do something, you do it. Do it. That's the beauty. He has already completed his studies here at the Viadrina University. Now he only crosses the Oder River into Germany to prepare for the next steps. I'm actually studying right now for the entrance exam to become a teacher in Poland at the end of the year. It will take place at the end of the year. I've just started my third week of preparation. Today and for the next three days I'm studying civil law. From Article 1 to Article 117, I think. From article 1 to 117, I think. But Philippe doesn't want to wait for the end of the year to move to Poland just for the exam. He wants to be with his family as soon as possible. That's why he's also looking for a job to help pay for his studies. Yes, I'm actively sending out applications. I've been sending out applications to many law firms in Poznan and some in Warsaw to find a job in Poland and finally get my foot in the door of the working world. I was already in contact with a firm back in January that wanted to fill the position again in the second quarter. It's a German-Polish law firm. My profile was a great match and I could really contribute to their work. What I'll miss is going to the university cafeteria with my schoolmates. We meet there every day at 12.30 and just talk. Usually about stupid things, but it clears your mind and I'll miss that. Here they come now. They're bringing me something. What are they afraid of? Why are they so scared? They can come in too. They can come in too? Hello, my name is Philipp. Here you go. Hello, my name is Philipp and I'm studying law. Do you think it's bad that I'm going to Poland? Do I think it's bad? Of course not. We need cheap workers. That's what I mean. But the fact is, Philipp's departure will mean the loss of one more important worker for the German labor market. And just one week later, he has news. So, friends, I'm now from my first... I'm just about to have my first job interview. I'm a bit stressed, but I'm feeling positive. I finished my degree, so now I just have to sell myself well. And... I'm going in feeling confident. See you after the interview. Philippe is hoping to win his first job in a law firm in Poznan. If he succeeds, he could be living in Poland within a few weeks. We're back in Stettin with Kamala Gierko. In Germany, she worked as an interpreter for the Berlin judiciary. Since the 44-year-old and her husband moved to Poland, she has been working at his company, which plans and organizes exhibitions all around the world. Yeah, the bridge. I think we should build a low platform so it isn't sitting right on the floor. Yes, that looks better. She's the brains, and I'm the brawn. Life has become a lot easier here. Because, unlike in Germany, a lot is done digitally. I'm looking for Galaximed. Prescription by text. Here, the doctor's office sends a medicine prescription via text message. The couple can then take it directly to the nearest pharmacy. They use the service often. Were you still in Berlin? Back in Berlin, we would have to call the doctor's office, make an appointment and go to the office in person. But without going to practice, we would have... There's no other way, even for repeat prescriptions for a medication that you take long term. And that you, that you take it in permanently. It's already... It saves so much time to be able to do it all by text message, especially in your case, when you always forget to renew it. In Poland, many official tasks can also be done digitally. In Berlin, many of these were bureaucratic hurdles. Even for the smallest things, you have to wait forever just to submit an application or get an appointment. To make an appointment at all, to get an appointment at all, they are unlocked. They're released like concert tickets. You have to sit in front of the screen at seven in the morning to see if an appointment has opened up. It's going to be insanely frustrating. That was incredibly frustrating because you just felt stuck. You need something, and you can't get it done. ...and can't just do it. We both had, unfortunately... Unfortunately, we've both had to apply for death certificates in recent years. ...to apply and... And I think it took two months for my father's. I think it took two months for my father. Without a death certificate, you can't even have a funeral. That means the body has to be stored somewhere. That takes one day maximum in Poland. Germany was really a different country, a different world. It was the opposite 20 years ago. Poland was a mess, but everything in Germany was nice and clean and worked. The couple has changed their opinion and see their future in Poland. Our next goal is to buy a house either in or near Warsaw. It depends on the price. A small terraced house or a small house with a yard. Philipp Panek is visiting his parents in Poznan. He works from their home as often as he can to spend time with his family. Could it have been sent to my student email? Okay, bye. That was my work colleague. We were arranging a conference. In August, I think. The date has just been changed. The appointment hasn't changed yet. Philipp, can you help me a bit in the garden? Yeah, give me a second, okay? Okay. The 25-year-old has decided against a career in Germany. Instead, he wants to pursue his next steps in Poland, near his family. He's still commuting until he finds a job here. I'm here. Oh, super. What can I do? Can you hold it here? I'm heading back over tomorrow morning. Too bad. I like it when you're here. I know. Who wouldn't? You don't like me, do you? Filip's parents moved back to Poland only two years ago. For over 30 years they lived near Stuttgart, where Filip grew up. My sister cried so much when we left Poland for Germany. She was afraid we'd fall out of touch. But we phoned each other, even wrote real letters on paper in the beginning. And they visited us in Germany, often. Look at my compass, my happiness is somewhere else. I've been looking forward to this cake all week. That's my favorite lemon cake. I'm going to bake one for grandma. As soon as I got out of the job interview, all I could think about was this cake. I was just looking forward to this moment. How was your interview? Mm. . It went pretty well. We talked for about half an hour with each other. . We talked for half an hour. I asked a few questions and so did he. Including some on the matter at hand. I wasn't completely sure if I'd answered right, but they seemed pleased. Like I said, yeah. If everything works out, things could happen pretty quickly. Philipp would move out of his student apartment in Frankfurt and be living in Poznan in just a few weeks. He's already preparing for the next step. Come see what I found yesterday. It's in a new building. I think we're going to have to ask them. It's bright. Newly built? I think so. It costs 2,070 zloty per month. That's reasonable. It's very new. I think it's the nicest. So far. Look at the bathroom. I heard somewhere that people who move to Poland, or return to Poland, I'm not sure which, don't have to pay income tax. I've heard that too. It says here that it applies for four years for people who move their tax residence to Poland. You have to have worked abroad for three years, which I have. Exactly. Philipp can earn up to 20,000 euros tax-free, another incentive to attract Poles abroad It's odd to return to Poland, In the interim, he would move into his parents' home. A room is ready for him. This is where I'll be for probably the next two months. Philipp, look what I found. I hope I have clothes on in all the pictures. There are pictures of Asperg, of Ludwig... There are pictures of Asperg and Ludwigsburg and the Polish church. These are our wedding pictures. That's a Ludwigsburg registry office. Oh, he's having the most... Back then I hardly understood anything. Good thing your Aunt Erika interpreted for me. That's the church in Poznan. I don't know if you can pause it. With the old Audi you had in Ludwigsburg. My husband did a good job. My husband had a very good job as a school caretaker. He has a very good style. We had a nice apartment with a garden. Life in Ludwigsburg was really nice. Her husband has since retired. Aleksandra Panek has been a physiotherapist in Poland, a profession she continued in Germany. The move was a good financial decision. Back then, I earned a lot more in Germany. In Poland, I made about 120 euros a month working full time. I don't remember how much it was in Germany, but I think the base rate was about 320 euros for just a few hours work. It was really a big difference. It's different now. She can earn about the same in Poland as in Germany. The longing for family and community has brought everyone back together. Yeah, I thought you missed all of it. I could have decided to stay in Germany and you wouldn't have minded. No, you can if you want. That was the plan. That's right. I want you to be your own person. You can live here or there or somewhere else. But I'm really happy. I know. About your decision. You'll always be there for me. The training role in Poznan didn't work out, but Philippe is now starting work at a law firm in Warsaw. I'mma be that same. I'm starting to speak now. I'm starting to speak now. The reason is...