Report on psychological support offered by the Polish Migration Forum Foundation to persons staying in guarded detention centres for foreigners
In an evocatively titled report, the Polish Migration Forum Foundation, supported by Save the Children Poland, has unveiled a pioneering study exposing the dire lack of psychological support for individuals in Poland s guarded centres for foreigners (SOC). It is the first in Poland to summarize the experiences of a non-governmental organization in providing psychological assistance to residents of these centres. It draws on insights from legal experts specializing in migration law, psychologists working with foreigners, and testimonies from detained migrants themselves.
“Our research reveals that individuals in SOCs, including children and particularly vulnerable groups, are exposed to serious threats to their mental and physical health. This situation demands immediate action from the authorities. Preventing external psychologists from having access to foreigners staying in SOCs is contrary to the Act on Foreigners, which provides for their right to contact with non-governmental organizations that provide them with support in such centres”.
Agnieszka Kosowicz, President of the Board of the Polish Migration Forum Foundation
Key findings of the report
- Insufficient Access to Psychological Support: The number of psychologists is inadequate compared to the number of people needing support. This limitation has severe implications for the mental health of detainees, many of whom have endured traumatic experiences in their home countries or during their journeys to Poland.
- Vulnerability of Specific Groups: Lawyers and psychologists warn that children and individuals from particularly vulnerable groups are still being held in these closed centres, posing a significant threat to their life, health, and psychophysical development.
- Barriers for Non-Governmental Organizations: The report confirms that non-governmental organizations face barriers in accessing those in need within SOCs.
Psychologists point in the report to the negative impact of detention on the mental health of people staying in the centres, who often have traumatic experiences from their countries of origin or from their journeys to Poland. Reported problems include anxiety and depression, self-harm, and suicidal crises. Experts stress that, under national and international law, detaining migrants in SOCs should be a measure of last resort, with the shortest possible duration. However, current practices in Poland often contradict this principle.
“In the era where European centre of gravity is moving towards Poland, we would appeal to Polish authorities to consider the measures that are harmful towards migrants, especially children. These migrant minors come usually from conflict affected areas, carrying a large burden of psychological losses and traumas. Every child has the right to equal access to metal health support and Poland can provide an example of how this could be done after showing to the world one of the best humanitarian responses in 2022 with the largest refugee influx since the end of the WWII”.
Bujar Hoxha, Save the Children Poland Director
Report recommendation
In response to indicated challenges, the report recommends that Polish authorities take concrete and practical steps based on the recognition of the primacy of freedom over detention. It highlights the need to implement effective identification mechanisms that consider the legal and health situations of foreigners, improve access to psychological assistance for foreigners in SOCs, increase the trust of foreigners in state institutions, and enhance the effectiveness of institutional solutions by considering alternatives to detention involving the work of case managers.
