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Description
Despite the number of immigrants in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship doubling in the last four years (estimations are 80-150 000 immigrants for more than 2 m residents), the local authorities’ measures are still only drafting strategic documents. People responsible for policy do not have the perspective, neither know needs, and problems of immigrants living in the region. Employees of public institutions have a poor command of foreign languages and do not have intercultural skills. There are no multicultural integration locations or a sphere for self-organization of immigrants.The project addresses the lack of institutional support for employees of public institutions when serving foreigners and the low level of self-organization of immigrant communities.We will provide all-embracing training for immigrants on self-advocacy, social worker assistance, self-organization, and self-help. In total we envisage 160 hours of workshops. We will form and train to be publicly active a Regional Immigrant Team (consulting on the voivodship strategy being formulated; 8-12 people), and form an immigrant network – of assistants supporting public authorities in serving foreigners (working with fifteen institutions). We will help immigrants to form a social cooperative. We will ensure creation of two collaborating integration Urban Housewife Associations (self-help network).The project will mainly improve competencies in representing immigrants’ own interests, and self-organization and self-help, and their inclusion in devising institutional tools, cooperation with fifteen institutions, opening a cooperative, and women’s self-help. Forty people in the immigrant community will benefit directly.The project is intended for immigrants from third countries residing in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship.
Summary of project results
The project responds to the lack of systemic support for employees of public institutions in their contact with foreign clients and the low level of self-organisation of migrant communities in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship. Although the number of migrants in the region has increased significantly in recent years, the actions of local authorities have not kept pace. Policy makers are often unfamiliar with the perspectives, needs and problems of migrants. Employees of public institutions have poor language skills and lack intercultural competence. There is also a lack of places for multicultural integration and spaces for self-organisation of the migrant community.
The project promoter provided extensive training to migrants in self-advocacy, assistantship, self-organisation and self-help. A Regional Team of Migrants was established and prepared for activities in the public sphere. The team was involved in reviewing the recommendations for public institutions prepared by the Intersectoral Team on Migration and Integration. A support network was established - a group of 15 assistants - which, due to the increase in the number of migrants triggered by Russia''s aggression against Ukraine, focused on supporting institutions and then on direct support to refugees from Ukraine. Six migrant initiatives were implemented with more than 70 participants. Educational activities on social entrepreneurship were also carried out. Two women''s clubs were also set up - one in Bydgoszcz, which networks entrepreneurial women, and the other in the Centre for Foreigners in Grupa, where women in the refugee procedure and Polish women living in Grupa meet.
As a result of the activities carried out, people from the migrant community have improved their skills in representing their own interests and in self-organisation and self-help. The project mainly involved migrant women from Ukraine and Belarus with refugee experience. The voice of migrants was taken into account in the design of the system tools. The 15 participants in the workshops developed their leadership and advocacy skills. In the end, 15 institutions were supported by cultural assistants, which was very important in the context of the war in Ukraine.