DOCSLIB.ORG

Being a Refugee How Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Experience Life in Central Europe

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Being a Refugee How Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Experience Life in Central Europe © UNHCR/ B. Szandelszky Participatory Assessment 2010 Report Being a refugee How refugees and asylum-seekers experience life in Central Europe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Regional Representation for Central Europe Participatory Assessment 2010 Report Being a refugee How refugees and asylum-seekers experience life in Central Europe Published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Regional Representation for Central Europe Budapest, 2011 The photos in this publication serve as illustrations and do not necessarily depict the people mentioned in the report. All pictures have been taken in Central Europe in recent years. Photographers are credited with their pictures. All names of asylum-seekers, refugees and other persons of concern have been changed for protection reasons. Table of contents Foreword .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Bulgaria ................................................................................................................................................ 9 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 10 No place like home ................................................................................................................... 10 Finding work is hard work ......................................................................................................... 11 Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you how integrated you are ......................................12 No cold milk today, no hot shower tomorrow .......................................................................... 12 Behind bars for claiming asylum ............................................................................................... 13 Improvements for asylum-seekers............................................................................................ 13 Improvements for refugees ....................................................................................................... 14 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 14 Statistics ................................................................................................................................... 15 The Czech Republic .......................................................................................................................... 17 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 18 Asylum procedure seen as lengthy and unclear .......................................................................18 The long wait in limbo takes its toll ........................................................................................... 19 A bit of sensitivity would go a long way .................................................................................... 20 Health care still out of reach for many asylum-seekers and refugees ......................................20 Vulnerable asylum-seekers face inadequate conditions ........................................................... 21 Refugees face chronic housing difficulties ...............................................................................21 Refugees miss out on Czech language training ....................................................................... 22 Improvements for refugees and asylum-seekers ...................................................................... 23 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 24 Statistics ................................................................................................................................... 25 Hungary .............................................................................................................................................. 27 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 28 No cot for the baby, no coat for the winter ............................................................................... 28 The school, a would-be place for integration ...........................................................................29 Refugees need help to help themselves ...................................................................................30 Locked up for seeking asylum ..................................................................................................30 Concerns about ill treatment in detention ................................................................................. 31 Improvements for asylum-seekers............................................................................................ 32 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 32 Statistics ................................................................................................................................... 33 Poland ................................................................................................................................................. 35 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 36 A less than warm welcome ....................................................................................................... 36 Where will the children play? .................................................................................................... 36 Schools continue to improve services ......................................................................................37 Lost and confused .................................................................................................................... 38 Reception centre conditions good for bed bugs too ................................................................39 Variety of food could improve ................................................................................................... 39 Asylum-seekers and refugees troubled by quality of medical care ..........................................39 Integration programmes fall short .............................................................................................39 4 Participatory Assessment 2010 Report A place to call home still out of reach .......................................................................................40 Finding legal work remains elusive ........................................................................................... 40 Improvements for asylum-seekers and refugees ...................................................................... 41 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 41 Statistics ................................................................................................................................... 42 Romania ............................................................................................................................................. 45 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 46 “They saved our lives” .............................................................................................................. 46 “How can he say I can return to Iraq?” .....................................................................................47 The sick and the poor ............................................................................................................... 47 Waiting for…understanding ...................................................................................................... 48 Waiting for a new home country ............................................................................................... 48 Disappointed resettled refugees opt out of the integration process ........................................ 49 Integration starts with elementary needs… ..............................................................................50 Improvements for asylum-seekers and refugees ...................................................................... 50 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 51 Statistics ................................................................................................................................... 51 Slovakia .............................................................................................................................................. 53 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 54 Good and bad experiences in residential centres .................................................................... 54 Internet helps against feelings of isolation ................................................................................ 54 Showing your ID does not always help ....................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Poland-Report.Pdf
    © Faith Matters, 2017 London, United Kingdom All rights reserved Material from this publication may be reproduced for teaching or other non-commercial purposes. No part of it may be reproduced in any form for commercial purposes without the prior express permission of the copyright holder. For further information please contact Faith Matters +44 (0) 207 935 5573 [email protected] Twitter: @FaithMattersUK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMattersUK Published 04 December 2017 Lead researcher: Steve Rose Get involved and support our work at www.faith-matters.org Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 2 Review of Existing Literature ............................................................................................. 3 The Tatar Muslims of Poland............................................................................................. 7 The Politicisation of Catholicism ...................................................................................... 11 Catholicism & Ethnonationalism under Communism ....................................................... 14 Notable anti-Muslim activists in Poland and Britain ......................................................... 18 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 26 Introduction The size of the nationalist march in Warsaw on 11 November 20171 brought renewed interest in far-right
    [Show full text]
  • Poland's Migration: Growing Diversity of Flows and People
    ISS Instytut Studiów Społecznych Institute for Social Studies Uniwersytet Warszawski * University of Warsaw Seria: PRACE MIGRACYJNE, nr 29 Poland’s migration: growing diversity of flows and people Marek Okólski Listopad 1999 ________________________________________________________ ISS is affiliated with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 2 © Copyright by Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW Ośrodek Badań nad Migracjami Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW Stawki 5/7 00–183 Warszawa Tel.: 48+22+8315153 Fax: 48+22+8314933 Internet: [email protected] Seria: PRACE MIGRACYJNE, nr 29 POLAND’S MIGRATION: GROWING DIVERSITY OF FLOWS AND PEOPLE Marek Okólski © Copyright by Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW listopad 1999 © Copyright by Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW 3 CONTENTS 1. Historical review ................................................................................................................. 4 2. Actual situation ................................................................................................................... 6 2.1. Legal environment ....................................................................................................... 6 2.2. Aggregate trends since 1989 ........................................................................................ 7 2.2.1. Main premises ....................................................................................................... 7 2.2.2. Outflows...............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Minority Rights Abuse in Communist Poland and Inherited Issues
    Title Minority Rights Abuse in Communist Poland and Inherited Issues Author(s) Majewicz, Alfred F.; Wicherkiewicz, Tomasz Citation Acta Slavica Iaponica, 16, 54-73 Issue Date 1998 Doc URL http://hdl.handle.net/2115/40153 Type bulletin (article) File Information 16_54-73.pdf Instructions for use Hokkaido University Collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers : HUSCAP Mimorigy R ftghits Abwse im CogeeRffgm"nist Pekaredi apmdi llpmheffiged ffssaxes ARfred E Majewicz, 'Ibmasz Wicherkiewicz I. Throughout most of its independent existence Poland was a multiethnic country. In the interwar period 1918-1939 approximately one third ef its 36,OOO,OOO population consisted of non-Poles (mainly Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Lithuanians, Jews, Germans and Russians) who inhabited predominantly over half of its territory. The consequence of World War II was what was labeled as the reduction (or "return" ) ofPoiand to "its ethnic borders" forced by the allied powers. Poland was thus officially proclaimed a monoethnic state with no national minorities and this procla- mation was an essential and sensitive, though minor, part ofthe ideology imposed by the Communist ruiers .in spite of the fact that some twenty ethnic groups identified themselves as such and emphasized their (cultural, religious, linguistic, historical, etc.) separateness from others. "Ib secure firm control over these undesirable sentiments, after the post-Stalin Thaw the rulers created authoritatively certain institutional possi- bilitiesforsomecultivatingbysomeethnicgroupsofsomeaspectsoftheirethnicselfi identification. Nevertheless, the repertory of persecution and abuse of ethnic minority rights was quite impressive. It included: 1.1. Theso-called"verificationofautochthons"onterritoriesfbrmerlybe- longing to the German state (esp. Kashubian, Slovincian, the so-called Pomeranian, Mazurian population). l.2. Forceddeportations,displacements,resettlements,settlementsofnomadic groups, prohibition or administrative obstacles in granting rights to emigrate.
    [Show full text]
  • Influx and Integration of Migrants in Poland in the Early XXI Century
    ISS Instytut Studiów Społecznych Institute for Social Studies Uniwersytet Warszawski * Warsaw University Seria: PRACE MIGRACYJNE, nr 50 Influx and Integration of Migrants in Poland in the Early XXI Century Aleksandra Grzymała-Kazłowska Marek Okólski Listopad 2003 ________________________________________________________ ISS is affiliated with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Ośrodek Badań nad Migracjami Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW Stawki 5/7 00–183 Warszawa Tel.: 48+22+8315153 Fax: 48+22+8314933 www.iss.uw.edu.pl [email protected] Seria: PRACE MIGRACYJNE, nr 50 Influx and Integration of Migrants in Poland in the Early XXI Century Aleksandra Grzymała-Kazłowska Marek Okólski © Copyright by Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW listopad 2003 Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 2. Prominent Categories of Migrants and their Structural Characteristics.............................. 6 2.1. Categories and Respective Definitions ......................................................................... 6 2.2. Immigrant Stock and Inflow of Migrants in 2000 by Country of Origin...................... 8 2.3. Demographic Profile and Human Capital of Migrants ............................................... 14 2.4. Mixed Marriages of Documented Migrants................................................................ 15 2.5. Economic Activity of Migrants..................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Polish Perceptions on the Immigration Influx: a Critical Analysis
    ARTICLES & ESSAYS DOI 10.6092/issn.2531-6133/6674 Polish Perceptions on the Immigration Influx: a Critical Analysis † KINGA HODÓR & ANNA KOSIŃSKA TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Introductory Remarks; 2. Poland as an Immigration Country; 2.1. Poland as an Ethnically Homogenous Nation; 2.2. Poland’s Migration Profile; 2.3. The Catholic Church’s Ingluence on the Pole’s Immigration Awareness; 2.4. Profile of poles holding particular perceptions; 3. Immigrants as a Challenge for Poland; 3.1. Concern over National Security; 3.2. Cultural and Religious Differences as a Source of Potential Conflicts; 3.3. Detrimental Impact of immigration on the Polish Labour Market; 3.4. Burden to the Polish Social System; 3.5. Anti-immigrants Demonstrations and Hate Speech; 4.Positive Attitudes of Immigration for Poland; 4.1. Solidarity and Compassion over Human Misery; 4.2 Cultural Enrichment of the Country and Benefits of Cultural Diversity; 4.3. Poorly and Highly Educated Employees of Polish Labour Market; 4.4. Solution to the Demographic Problem; 4.5. Helping Hand Given to Poles in the Past: Obligation to the Same; 5. Concluding remarks. ABSTRACT: The article addresses the issue of Poles’ attitude towards the influx of migrants to Poland in the context of the migration crisis, which Europe has to face today. The issues discussed in the present paper are aimed to illustrate the characteristic features specific to Poles’ attitudes in favour of or against the process of influx of migrants to EU Member States or Poland. The analysis covers both positive and negative aspects of migration to Poland, which have been most often indicated by Poles with respect to migrants.
    [Show full text]
  • Influx and Integration of Migrants in Poland in the Early XXI Century
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE ISS provided by Policy Documentation Center Instytut Studiów Społecznych Institute for Social Studies Uniwersytet Warszawski * Warsaw University Seria: PRACE MIGRACYJNE, nr 50 Influx and Integration of Migrants in Poland in the Early XXI Century Aleksandra Grzymała-Kazłowska Marek Okólski Listopad 2003 ________________________________________________________ ISS is affiliated with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Ośrodek Badań nad Migracjami Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW Stawki 5/7 00–183 Warszawa Tel.: 48+22+8315153 Fax: 48+22+8314933 www.iss.uw.edu.pl [email protected] Seria: PRACE MIGRACYJNE, nr 50 Influx and Integration of Migrants in Poland in the Early XXI Century Aleksandra Grzymała-Kazłowska Marek Okólski © Copyright by Instytut Studiów Społecznych UW listopad 2003 Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 2. Prominent Categories of Migrants and their Structural Characteristics.............................. 6 2.1. Categories and Respective Definitions ......................................................................... 6 2.2. Immigrant Stock and Inflow of Migrants in 2000 by Country of Origin...................... 8 2.3. Demographic Profile and Human Capital of Migrants ............................................... 14 2.4. Mixed Marriages of Documented Migrants...............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mobility and Circularity Between Ukraine and Poland Following The
    99/157 IGNACY JÓŹWIAK MARIA PIECHOWSKA Crisis-driven Mobility between Ukraine and Poland. What Does the Available Data (Not) Tell Us May1 2017 www.migracje.uw.edu.pl Ignacy Jóźwiak, Centre of Migration Research – University of Warsaw (Poland), [email protected] Maria Piechowska, Centre of Migration Research – University of Warsaw (Poland), [email protected] 2 Abstract The paper sheds light upon the arrivals of Ukrainians into Poland in the face of political, military and economic developments in Ukraine following the 2013/2014 Euromaidan events. The authors make use of the available primary and secondary sources to analyse Ukrainian labour and educational migration to Poland, shuttle trade and shopping tourism as well as asylum seeking. The recent development of these different forms of mobility from Ukraine to Poland against the backdrop of political crisis, armed conflict and economic recession in Ukraine can be reflected in the light of Ukraine’s peripheral position and historically and politically shaped Polish-Ukrainian relations. The official statistics indicate a general increase in different forms of mobility between the two countries and, given the conflict-driven economic stagnation, the authors claim that further influx should be expected and Ukrainian migration is likely to become a consistent part of the Polish social landscape. Keywords: Ukraine; Poland; mobility; crisis; labour Abstrakt Artykuł rzuca światło na kwestię przyjazdów Ukraińców do Polski wobec politycznych, wojskowych i gospodarczych wydarzeń na Ukrainie będących następstwem wydarzeń Euromajdanu z przełomu lat 2013/2014. Autorzy wykorzystują dostępne (pierwotne i wtórne) źródła analizując ukraińską migrację zarobkową i edukacyjną, a także handel wahadłowy, turystykę zakupową i uchodźstwo.
    [Show full text]
  • Third Report on Poland
    CRI(2005)25 European Commission against Racism and Intolerance Third report on Poland Adopted on 17 December 2004 Strasbourg, 14 June 2005 Table of contents FOREWORD ................................................................................................................ 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 4 I. FOLLOW-UP TO ECRI’S SECOND REPORT ON POLAND ............................ 5 INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INSTRUMENTS .......................................................................... 5 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS AND OTHER BASIC PROVISIONS ....................................... 6 - Act on National and Ethnic Minorities and Regional Language .................. 6 CRIMINAL LAW PROVISIONS ......................................................................................... 7 CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW PROVISIONS .............................................................. 10 SPECIALISED BODIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS .......................................................... 12 RECEPTION AND STATUS OF NON-CITIZENS ................................................................. 14 - Immigration .............................................................................................. 14 - Asylum seekers and refugees .................................................................. 15 - Trafficking in human beings ..................................................................... 18 VULNERABLE GROUPS ..............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Visegrad Group and the EU Agenda on Migration: a Coalition of the Unwilling? Peter Stepper1
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Corvinus Research Archive P. STEPPER COJOURN 1:1 (2016) The Visegrad Group and the EU agenda on migration: A coalition of the unwilling? Peter Stepper1 Abstract More than a million refugees applied for asylum in member states of the European Union in the course of 2015. Along with the challenges of the central Mediterranean migration route, new hotspots of migratory movements emerged, such as Hungary. The EU is faced as a result with a number of challenges connected to its asylum policy, mostly because its system was not designed with the prospects of a persistent mass influx of refugees in mind. Although the recast process of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) established the possibility of financial compensation, supportive measures and early- warning mechanisms, no common system for a more equal distribution of refugees was accepted. Initiatives aiming to establish resettlement and relocation mechanisms based on distribution keys were not supported unanimously. Among the prominent persistent objectors to such plans are the Visegrad Four (V4) countries who express a strong interest in securitising irregular migration. This article aims to explain V4 countries’ reactions, and examines whether a fundamental reassessment of the CEAS is really needed or possible in the near future. Keywords: refugees, migration, CEAS, securitization, irregular migration, Visegrad Introduction More than a million refugees applied for asylum in member-states of the European Union until 22 December 2015. Along with the challenges of the central Mediterranean migration route, which represents the greatest challenge in the field of border management and asylum policy since 2012, new hotspots appeared on the map after 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ideal and the Real Dimensions of the European Migration Crisis. the Polish Perspective
    social sciences $€ £ ¥ Article The Ideal and the Real Dimensions of the European Migration Crisis. The Polish Perspective Barbara Cie´sli´nska* and Małgorzata Dzieko ´nska Instytut Socjologii i Kognitywistyki, Uniwersytet w Białymstoku, 15-328 Białystok, Poland; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 29 July 2019; Accepted: 12 November 2019; Published: 14 November 2019 Abstract: In the article the so-called European migrant crisis of 2015 is presented from the perspective of Polish society. First, we consider criteria for distinguishing refugees from other types of immigrants. Second, we examine the characteristics of the 2015 inflow which contribute to its perception in terms of crisis. The third issue is Polish society’s reactions to the phenomenon of migration. On the one hand, the results of nationwide polls are presented. On the other hand, the perspective of a provincial city is introduced. In the city an active refugee center has been operating for almost three decades and major importance has been attached to the idea of a multicultural society. The analysis of these issues indicates that the inflow related to the migration crisis does not coincide with the current patterns of refugee migration and is not consistent with the celebrated vision of a multicultural society. Keywords: migration crisis; ideal type; refugees; immigrants; migration policy 1. Introduction The unexpected, large-scale inflow of non-European citizens on the territory of the European Union (EU) during several months in the years 2015–2016 has been called the “migration crisis” and a “humanitarian crisis” (Martin 2016; Baldwin-Edwards et al. 2018; Dunes et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Migration Trends in Selected Applicant Countries”, the Following Volumes Are Available
    cover PL qx III 15/1/04 12:26 Page 1 Sharing Experience… Accession to the EU is expected to bring about changes in migratory routes and destinations, as well as societal changes in the future EU member states. How do new migration trends affect the local societies of these countries? How is the integration of migrants possible in societies marked mostly by emigration throughout the 1990ies? Which approaches do governments envisage in the different countries? Are they becoming countries of immigration – what can be expected after May 2004? This booklet is part of a product of comprehensive research and analysis of migration trends in each of six participating EU accession countries. lume III – Poland The research project has been supported by the European Commission, Vo DG Employment and Social Affairs, under the European Social Fund budget Migration Trends line “Analysis of and research on the social situation, demography and the family” and has been managed by IOM Vienna. in Selected Applicant Countries Under the title “Migration Trends in Selected Applicant Countries”, the following volumes are available: Volume I – Bulgaria: The Social Impact of Seasonal Migration. Volume II – The Czech Republic: The Times They Are A-Changin. Volume III – Poland: Dilemmas of a Sending and Receiving Country. Volume IV – Romania: More ‘Out’ than ‘In’ at the Crossroads between Migration Trends Europe and the Balkans. Volume V – Slovakia: An Acceleration of Challenges for Society. Volume VI – Slovenia: The perspective of a Country on the ‘Schengen Periphery’. Volume III – Poland The reader may expect comprehensive information on the situation of migrants both, in and out of the countries, and the countries’ migration Dilemmas of a Sending and Receiving Country management approaches, with the main purpose to illustrate the impact of migration trends on the local society and the social situation in the country.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe Widening the European Discourse on Islam Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe
    Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe Widening the European Discourse on Islam Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe Widening the European Discourse on Islam edited by Katarzyna Górak-Sosnowska a University of Warsaw Faculty of Oriental Studies Warszawa 2011 © by Katarzyna Górak­Sosnowska and the Authors © by the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland Reviewers Prof. Halina Rusek Prof. Jolanta Sierakowska­Dyndo Cover design: Wiktor Dyndo Projekt jest współfinansowany przez Ministra Spraw Zagranicznych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w ramach cyklicznego programu Promocja wiedzy o Polsce. The project is co­funded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, within the frames of a cyclic program Promotion of Knowledge about Poland. ISBN 978­83­903229­5­7 Printed and bound: Zakład Graficzny Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00­927 Warszawa Poland (zam. nr 1099/2011). The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Republic of Poland. Table of contents List of charts, pictures and tables ................................................................................. 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 9 Katarzyna Górak­Sosnowska, Muslims in Europe: different communities, one discourse? Adding the Central and Eastern European perspective ............ 12 Muslims in Poland Marek M. Dziekan,
    [Show full text]