Xenophilia

Description

The aim of the project is to provide comprehensive support for migrants from the Pomerania region as well as to help their widely understood integration into Polish society. As its name (‘Xenofilia’) indicates, the project intends to contribute to getting to know and liking ‘the others’. Through our activities, we want to help migrants to become independent in Poland and encourage them to become actively involved in the local community. We will provide the target group with educational, informational, integrative and activating support as well as specialized counselling (e.g. legal, psychological and translational). An important element of the project is work with immigrant and re-immigrant families and establishment of the Słupsk City Council of Immigrants – a consultative and advisory body for shaping migration policies. This activity will strengthen migrants’ self-advocacy. Integration activities addressed to male and female migrants and the host community will foster mutual understanding. The project will provide support to migrant women who experience physical, psychological and economic violence. We will organise self-defence classes and personal development workshops. We will run workshops for both genders on cultural differences and gender violence. The project partners are the City of Gdańsk, Mannrettindaskrifstofa Island (Icelandic Human Rights Centre) and CIO (Centre for Citizens'' Initiatives).

Summary of project results

The aim of the project was to provide comprehensive support to various groups of migrants in Poland (especially in the Pomeranian Voivodeship) and a group of returnees. A growing number of people (from various regions of Poland) turning to the PORT Association for support have been noticed. As part of the infopoint, counseling was provided in almost the entire country. Information materials on legalization, residence, human trafficking and apartment rental were distributed. The operation of the information and advisory point continues. Expert legal support was provided to 24 people.
Strengthening the migrants'' self-advocacy increased the sense of agency and improved the competences of the training beneficiaries (the Council of Immigrants operating under the Mayor of Gdańsk provided mentoring to the Słupsk group, which held a series of meetings with the chairmen and visited the Dolna Brama Center - a place of social activity and the Local Cooperation Department - during a study visit). and Social Innovations of the Social Development Department of the City Hall in Gdańsk. This resulted in the appointment Migration Council at the Public Benefit Council of Słupsk. Preparing immigrants to work in the Council was possible thanks to cooperation with the Council of Immigrants and/or Women of the City of Gdańsk.
By observing the PR activities of the CIO partner, the PORT Association was able to improve its competences in building its own brand and recognition.

The project partner - CIO was responsible for the sections: "Violence and gender" and "Integration of immigrants from Słupsk". Soft activities (integration, building relationships) complemented the hard information and legal support provided by the Leader. The CIO and the leader organized the first kick-off meeting of the project, during which the project assumptions and the support offered were discussed. Within the departments. "Violence and gender" CIO carried out a self-defense course for women (10 meetings), personal development workshops with a psychologist and career advisor (2 meetings, 4 p.m. each), and workshops on cultural differences (2 meetings, 8 h each). Within the departments. "Integration of immigrants from Słupsk" CIO organized 10 integration meetings. In addition, 2 regional trips were carried out. The project''s final activity was a discussion panel "Polish women to Ukrainians" during the Słupsk Festival of Non-Governmental Organizations on the boulevards. The panel participants (representatives of the Migration Research Center, the Nomad association and the project leader) talked about the situation of migrants in Poland and the challenges in the field of migration. Project goal - integration of people with migration experience has been achieved by the department. information, expert support, meetings and exchange of experiences, which ultimately anchored the migrants in the new environment and led to the establishment of their own NGO.
Study trip to Iceland resulted in further cooperation with a foreign partner, who in the following months supported the CIO with his substantive knowledge.

Thanks to the "Xenophilia" project and the implementation of activities in cooperation with the Council of Immigrants and Immigrant Women of the City of Gdańsk, as well as a study visit to Gdańsk, further activities are being carried out aimed at immigrants from the estate. from the Council and Support Center for Immigrants in Gdańsk. Thanks to the study visit to Wrocław, CIO met the Nomad Association for the Integration of Multicultural Society, whose representatives took part in a meeting summarizing the project on the boulevards of Słupsk - as panelists and conducting information activities in a tent near the stage. Thanks to this knowledge, the PORT St. The open space has established permanent cooperation with the association. Nomad - a number of meetings dedicated to immigrants from Latin America were organized (including as part of the EU BELONG project). Thanks to the implementation of the project, the Leader began to operate more effectively in the area of ​​migration at the national level (continuous participation in meetings of the Cooperation and Integration Forums organized by the Migration Consortium - the last activities of the Consortium were devoted to recommendations for the creation of a nationwide migration policy strategy). The Regional Center for Social Policy - the organizer of the multicultural picnic, invited the leader to co-organize in 2023 and 2024. Running the Infopoint contributed to the increase in knowledge about the legalization of stay, employee rights, access to public services among people with migration experience (including those covered by temporary protection) - the real dimension of the acquired knowledge is complex applications for temporary and permanent residence permits, appeals against negative decisions administrative procedures, obtaining disability certificates, enforcing employee rights (payment of wages, allowances, leave). The transnational partner supported the Leader and CIO with substantive knowledge. The situation has stabilized. groups of people with the migration experience and improving their well-being. The agency of immigrant women has increased thanks to running their own NGOs, and at least two associations have been established, including: Amulet Association for Assistance to Foreigners, which was repeatedly assisted by CIO advisors in formal and legal aspects related to establishing and running the association, as well as in obtaining grants. This cooperation is still continued. The quality and comfort of work of the PORT Association members improved thanks to the purchase of 2 laptops and a printer, and the association''s recognition increased. The image of the CIO improved thanks to the new visual identification, and working conditions improved thanks to the purchased equipment and supplies. Thanks visa. studies to Wrocław, communication within the team improved and the directions of further CIO activities were shared. The representative of the CIO in the Słupsk Public Benefit Activities Council was involved in the consultation process of a survey directed by MOPR to migrants from Słupsk, which is intended to help understand their needs in order to be able to more effectively prepare a support project for foreigners, which will be implemented by MOPR as part of the ITI tool.

Summary of bilateral results

The transnational partner, Icelandic Human Rights Centre, actively participated in planning the study visit to Iceland - it helped to establish the substantive program of the visit and arranged meetings with various entities. Thanks to this, the participants of the visit could take part not only in a meeting with the transnational partner itself, but also talk about migration policy with representatives of the City Council in Iceland and see how migrants are included in the processes of social participation in the association dealing with neighborhood planning. During the meeting with ICPC, the participants of the visit learned about the transnational partner''s activities carried out for migrants, tools for working with migrants, and the challenges facing Iceland in this area. The participants of the visit could see interesting publications developed by IHRC, addressed to migrant women. Through the Partner of the Donor States during online meetings and a study visit, the Project Leader obtained information on the principles of operation of information points in Iceland, was sensitized to the specific needs of some migrant recipient groups, with particular emphasis on the cultural differences of migrants from African countries. The needs of migrants and difficulties in accessing public services resulting from the applicable law were discussed. During the meetings, the foreign partner was particularly interested in the situation of refugees from Ukraine at that time and the specific situation of women in Poland in the light of the applicable legal acts regarding women''s reproductive rights. The experience of the transnational partner in conducting educational and advocacy information activities in the field of human rights protection resulted in the exchange of experiences in this area. The transnational partner provided substantive support during the further implementation of the project to both the Leader and the CIO.