Directions of foreign migration of Poles and the level of socio-economic development of the country of emigration from the European Union area in the years 2004–2011

This paper provides an introduction to the enhanced study of the relationships occurring between the choice of the country, to which Polish citizens emigrate, and the level and quality of life in the country of emigration. In the first part of the article the author focused on the major causes of departures of Poles out of the country and the effects of emigration for Poland. Next, the directions of departures of Poles to the EU countries for a temporary stay longer than three months in the period 2004–2012 have been analyzed. In the last part of the paper the author made the preliminary analysis of the relationship between the number of people emigrating to a given country and its level of the socio-economic development. In order to determine the level of the development the Human Development Index has been used.