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Description
According to Office for Foreigners data, in the Pomorskie voivodship, 23094 foreigners hold valid documents entitling them to reside in Poland, while many more await a ruling on their case. They experience exclusion due to not speaking the language, lack of ability to handle matters in government offices/institutions, and their residency status not being regulated, and sometimes also discrimination due to nationality. There are a number of organizations active in the Pomorskie voivodship that assist foreigners, but not on a sufficient scale.This project addresses the problem of immigrants in the Pomorskie voivodship having insufficient access to support.We will operate an Integration and Counselling Centre for Foreigners, run remotely, which we will promote in many towns, providing information and counselling, legal and career advice, and psychological counselling. We will organize a minimum of three support groups. The psychological counselling and support groups will be conducted by qualified psychologists whose native language is Ukrainian or Russian. We will have documents translated. We will organize competency training for self-advocates: There will be two workshops to improve community competencies, and one on legal issues. Self-advocates will gain experience working with specialists at information centres (one-month internships) and also assist with four grassroots initiatives for local communities.The measures will be targeted towards immigrants in the Pomorskie voivodship, mainly from Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and Russia.As a result, information and counselling will be given to 150 immigrants, ten of whom will receive training on self-advocacy activities.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of insufficient support for migrants in the Pomorskie Voivodeship. According to the Office for Foreigners, more than 23,000 foreigners from Pomorskie have valid documents allowing them to stay in Poland. Those who are waiting for their situation to be regularised are in the most difficult situation. In 2019, 17,228 people applied for permanent residence and 229,953 for temporary residence. The average waiting time for a decision from the authorities is about one year. This waiting period is accompanied by uncertainty and often stress. Migrants experience exclusion due to unfamiliarity with the language, lack of skills to navigate regulations, offices and institutions, as well as discrimination on the basis of origin. In Pomorskie Voivodeship there are several organisations providing support to migrants, but the scope of their activities is insufficient, and there are no support centres in large cities such as Gdynia, Tczew, Malbork, Kwidzyn, Wejherowo, etc.
As part of the project, the Project Promoter ran the Information and Counselling Centre for Foreigners, which provided information and counselling support, as well as legal, professional and psychological counselling. Two editions of a course for 21 self-advocates were held, including workshops on communication, self-presentation, assertiveness, the administrative and legal system, and legislative changes. Six ideas - initiatives aimed at refugees - were implemented as part of the ''My Initiative'' competition. These included yoga classes, stress management workshops, integration and cooking workshops, a 55+ women''s club, a community garden and an exhibition. Three self-help groups for 27 people were also set up.
A total of 1116 foreigners from the Pomorskie Voivodeship, in particular from the TriCity, Gdansk and Wejherowo districts, who faced various difficulties in legalising their stay and work, benefited from the assistance. They included people who had been living in Poland for some time as well as newly arrived refugees from Ukraine. These people received comprehensive assistance - legal, psychological, emotional and vocational counselling, sworn translation, job and housing search, contact with institutions. The result was not only a smooth solution to their daily difficulties, but also an improvement in their well-being, motivation, independence and integration into the local community. The self-advocacy course, on the other hand, had an impact on improving the leadership skills of the migrant community, as well as their sense of self-confidence and self-efficacy.