One of the characteristic features of modern world are migrations of people. They are caused either by social or economic and political reasons of respective states and regions of the world. Population processes constitute, at present, a global problem. In the consequence of population’s number fast increase and the irregular economic development of the world, they still remain as an actual research question. An universal regularity of present migratory processes is a decrease of birth rate along with improving the life conditions. The highest birth rate can be observed in the poorest countries. Depopulation tendencies occur, in turn, in economically developed countries. Apart from economic factors, the differences in population increase, are also influenced by social and cultural conditions of a certain region, and the evolution of political system and programs of ruling elite. Greatly diverse is also, so called, the “quality” of contemporary migration. It is presented alike by poor, uneducated people and highly educated specialists from diff erent fi elds of social and economic life.

This article is a comment on Ryszard Borowicz’s text of 1992 on the post-1989 emigration of young people from Poland and on the debate inspired by Marek Okólski’s text of 2012 on the modernising impet of emigration. Three issues are being discussed in this article: 1) the adequacy of the „brain drain” concept, 2) relations between international migrations and modernization and 3/ some examples of empirical research on this problem.

Migrations of Poles to Sweden after the Polish accession to the European Union in 2004

Human migration should be considered as one of the fundamental values of cultural and civilization life, which is creating a new social reality. In the European Union there are different attitudes towards migration: on one hand – professing the principle of free human movement and on the other hand – making restrictions on immigrants. Sweden stands out from other European countries because of friendliness for immigrants. In this country, the migration and integration policy is based on the principles of equality, solidarity, cooperation and consensus. Number of Poles in Sweden is the third largest number of foreigners and it is still increasing, especially after accession of Poland to the European Union. Gainful employment is the main objective of Polish citizens migrating to Sweden. The country is also being selected by young people as a place, where everyone could gain an education, especially higher education. Keywords: international migration, migration policy, integration policy, Sweden multiculturalism, Polish migrants in Sweden