A report based on a study of the needs of people from refugee backgrounds leaving centres for foreigners in Poland
People from refugee backgrounds and those seeking international protection in Poland face a number of challenges in adapting to the new
reality and the process of integration into Polish society. Once they leave the centres for foreigners, they have to navigate the new
circumstances – securing stable living conditions, finding employment and building their future anew. Linguistic, formal and financial
barriers often hinder this process, and the lack of consistent and tailored public support mechanisms leaves many of these people feeling
lost.
The integration of people from refugee backgrounds in Poland should be based on a well-coordinated state policy and the
responsibility of public institutions, including local government institutions. Unfortunately, the public support system for preintegration and
integration is not effective enough and its offer doesn't meet the needs of people from refugee backgrounds. The lack of coherence in
programmes and the insufficient involvement of state institutions mean that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) take responsibility for
the integration process of people from refugee backgrounds.
These organisations provide a wide range of assistance including informational, social, legal, psychological, educational, linguistic,
medical, casework or vocational activation support. However, the support system offered by NGOs is not always able to provide a
comprehensive response to all needs – there are gaps in the services provided due to the lack of permanent funding and the functioning of
an organisation in a project mode. Often, aid is also dispersed and not fully coordinated, which limits its effectiveness.
In carrying out the study, we were keen to better understand where the greatest difficulties faced by people seeking international protection
in Poland are in order to more effectively support their process of becoming independent. The recommendations of people who stayed in
Guarded Centres for Foreigners (detention centres) and/or in Open Centres for Foreigners (open centres) are of key importance in this
context. Their perspective makes it possible to better tailor the NGO's support offer to real needs, as well as to identify concrete actions to
foster more effective independence.
