Polish President says migration has failed to solve Europe’s demographic crisis

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said on Monday that migration has not resolved the demographic challenges facing Western Europe, warning that both Poland and the continent are grappling with declining birth rates and aging populations.

Speaking at a demographic policy conference in Warsaw, Nawrocki said Europe faces a long-term population crisis that cannot be addressed solely through immigration.

“Migration has not solved the demographic problems of Western Europe,” he said, arguing that many countries continue to experience low fertility rates despite decades of inward migration.

The president stressed that governments should prioritize policies that support family formation and encourage higher birth rates among their existing populations.

“We must make every effort to stop the worsening demographic problem in Poland and across Europe,” Nawrocki said.

According to Poland’s statistics office, the country’s population has been steadily declining in recent years, reaching approximately 37.3 million at the beginning of 2026. Deaths continue to outnumber births, while the fertility rate remains well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.

Successive Polish governments have introduced a range of measures aimed at reversing the trend, including child benefits, tax incentives and housing support programs. However, demographic indicators have continued to deteriorate despite these efforts.

Nawrocki’s remarks come amid ongoing debate within the European Union over migration policy. Earlier this year, member states began preparations for the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, a reform package designed to strengthen border management, streamline asylum procedures and distribute migration-related responsibilities more evenly across the bloc.

Demographic decline remains one of Europe’s most pressing long-term challenges, with many countries facing shrinking workforces, rising dependency ratios and increasing pressure on social welfare systems.