The paper presents some features of contemporary international migration from Podlaskie voivodeship on the basis of on statistical data and biographical materials of labour emigrants from that region. The classification of the Central Statistical Office focuses on two main forms of emigration: permanent migration and temporary migration. Biographical materials suggest that integration processes depend on the form of migration. Permanent migration facilitates integration with host society. After the EU accession temporary migration from Poland, as well as from Podlaskie voivodeship, has increased considerably. Main migration directions have changed: emigration to USA has decreased while the number of trips to European countries has increased. Migration stories (both biographies and autobiographies) show the development of migration culture and transnational life style. Increasing number of Polish temporary migrants fosters the creation of new Polish colonies with specific characteristics. This phenomenon is discussed in the framework of the socialization theory of Berger and Luckmann.
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