refugees in Polish schools

20
2011
E n g l i s h
E D i t i o n
ISSN 1896-2734
A visit to a Labour
Office, p. 3
Next year’s
Amnesty, p. 5
The “Holiday Souvenirs” competition:
see the winning entries, p. 8
A multicultural class at a high school at ul. Raszyńska in Warsaw. Photographer: Aleksandra Kłosińska
Refugees in Polish schools
Aleksandra Kłosińska
More and more children living in refugee centres
are attending Polish schools. And in spite of various
difficulties schools are becoming better prepared to
accept foreign kids. At the moment, there are 424
children of school age under the supervision of the
Office for Foreigners. According to the data coming
from the Office, five years ago only 52% of children
living in institutions were fulfilling their education
obligation, now it is already 96%. Although this figure
is optimistic, it must be remembered that statistics do
not include people living outside centres for foreigners.
Polish education system
In Poland, children currently start
school at the age of 6 or 7. At the moment, parents have the choice whether
to send a six-year old to school, or to the
zero grade in the kindergarten. Since next
year, all 6 year-olds will be obliged to go to
the first grade. Then, usually at the age of
12–13 years, pupils go to gymnasium. It
lasts 3 years and ends with an exam. Every child under the age of 18 is required to
go to school, which also applies to foreign
nationals on Polish territory. – Most of our
pupils are taught in schools near the centres – said Ewa Piechota, spokeswoman for
the Office for Foreigners. – There are 156
children in the Warsaw area, 42 of whom
are taught in School No.1 in Brwinów, and
over 20 in Podkowa Leśna. In the east of
Poland, 61 children go to school near Bialystok, and 51 in the Lublin area.
Attending public school is free. In addition to subjects such as maths, biology or
history, schools also have religion classes,
and for those students who do not attend,
ethics classes should be organized. Under
Polish law, school must provide room for
refugees to study the language of their
country of origin, if a cultural association
or embassy asks for it.
Most students, who wish to continue
their education after gymnasium, go to
secondary school or vocational school. If
someone wants to go to college he needs
to pass the matriculation examination
after graduating from secondary school,
upper secondary school or technical
school.
.
Multiculturalism in practice
As already mentioned, many refugee children are taught in schools at
to p. 2
from p. 1
Refugees in Polish schools
the centres, but this is not a rule. An
institution that puts particular emphasis on tolerance and multiculturalism
is “Gymansium Raszynska” in Warsaw.
First refugees arrived there in 1995 and
since then school has been intensively
developing a programme of promoting
multiculturalism. It is a private school,
which means most students have to
pay. However, every year in each class
few places are reserved for children
who for various reasons are unable to
pay school fees, including refugees.
– School is also open for those whose
refugee status is not yet confirmed.
We accept children who simply need
our help – says school headmistress,
Krystyna Starczewska.
Apart from standard gymnasium
classes “Raszynska” has created a special multicultural programme for foreign children. Foreigners study Polish
language for about a year and gradually
prepare to learn other subjects. During
the week children have around 20 hours
of Polish. Besides that, they attend various trips that are supposed to bring them
closer to everyday life in Poland.
Multiculturalism is easy to notice
on every corner of the school. Couple
of weeks ago, group of students from
Chechnya together with the help of a local artist, has created a mural on one of
school’s walls. It commemorates Chechen heroes.
The average age of a student in the
multicultural class is between 15 and 17.
Although most children start school at
the beginning of the school year, some
sign up later. In order to participate in
the multicultural programme, no tests of
knowledge are required.
– The most important thing is the will
to study – says class head teacher, Sławek
Sikora. – After reaching an appropriate
level of Polish language, students are
encouraged to continue their education
in standard classes. Normally we advise
refugees to attend gymnasium, since after graduation they can really decide for
themselves – he adds.
Some of the students not only manage
to finish the multicultural programme
and gymnasium, but even go to secondary school and pass the matriculation
exam. – One of our graduates, Moses
from Uganda, has graduated secondary
school and is currently studying at the
film school – proudly points out headmistress Starczewska.
In previous years, school has also organised a common room for small children living in refugee centres. – Kids
came to school by a special bus two times
a week – says headmistress Starczewska.
– This year, fate of the initiative depends
on whether school will secure the funding for it.
As repeatedly emphasized by teachers, in classes where refugees are studying together with Polish children, the
most vital thing is to promote mutual
respect. It is important that children
arriving from Chechnya, Afghanistan,
Students of a multicultural class are learning Polish. Photographer: Aleksandra Kłosińska
Georgia, Tibet and other countries
learn about Polish culture, but also that
Polish children learn to respect their
customs.
Subsidies for a school
starter kit
Children with refugee status or applying for such status are entitled to full assistance in purchasing books and other
things necessary for school. According to
the Act on Granting Protection of Aliens
on the Territory of Republic of Poland,
the Office for Foreigners provides Pol-
ish language classes, basic materials for
learning the language, teaching aids for
children, as well as necessary support
in public schools (for children under
supplementary protection, this support
is provided by Social Welfare Centres;
scholarships may also be awarded).
Besides that, sometimes the Office
for Foreigners manages to get additional
financial resources needed to buy other
things apart from textbooks. For example, last it has bought school bags and
pencil cases with the European Union
funding.
Although situation of refugees in
education is gradually improving, it is
A mural close to the school, commemorating Chechen heroes. Photographer: Aleksandra Kłosińska
still far from ideal. Beyond any doubt,
a lot will change with the amendment to
Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners Within the Territory of the Republic
of Poland, signed by the President at the
end of August 2011. New law introduces
additional privileges for those who benefit from the assistance outside the centre. Since the next year, they will have
the right, amongst other things, to textbooks and other aids for children, and
whenever possible also to reimbursement for extra-curricular activities and
sport classes. Until now only children
living in centres were entitled to receive
such support.
Labour Office
without secrets
Magdalena Netter
We wrote before that the job search is an activity which
demands a plan and involvement. We also stressed that it is worth
to use all the possibilities and methods to find legal employment. In
the third part of this guide we will describe the procedure
of registration in the District Labour Office (PUP), where foreigners,
the same as the Poles, are invited to register as unemployed.
However, they must fulfill several conditions.
Who is eligible for aid from the office?
First of all, the rules oblige all foreigners – those from the
European Union, but also those who come from the countries outside the EU and the European Economic Area.
For the status of the unemployed can apply those who are
allowed to settle, or have long-term resident of the European
Communities permit. Those who have a refugee status in Poland, permission to tolerated stay, or subsidiary or temporary
protection can also register as unemployed. Those who stay
in Poland illegally have no right to register at the office.
Visit to the office
A foreigner with the right to register in the PUP should be
treated by the office staff equally as Polish citizens. The registration procedure is very similar in every Labour Office.
To register, you must first visit the appropriate office in
certain hours and days. These data can be checked for example on the office website. Also you can ask a social worker or
another employee of a public institution. The District Labour
Office in Warsaw is open from Monday to Friday from 8am
till 4pm, and accepts visitors till 3pm.
You have to bring certain documents to the office. One
of the most important is a filled registration card. The form
is available at each facility, and can be found on the website
of the office. Only the white field should be filled in by the
applicant, those highlighted in yellow are filled in by the official.
It is also essential to provide a document which proves your
identity, the best is your current residence card. Additionally,
(if you have) you should bring your tax identification number
and national identification number. All education papers (for
example: graduation certificate, diplomas) and qualification
proofs (certificates of completion of courses or training) are
also very important. Other important documents are: certificate of previous employment, military books, employment
certificates.
A disabled person presents the latest medical report stating degree of disability and every evidence of contraindications to do specific works. It is extremely important not to
give a disabled person a job offer he/she cannot perform.
By registering at the Labour Office as unemployed, we get
health insurance. In addition, we can report to the insurance
members of our family (wife, husband, children) – if they are
not covered by insurance from different title. To do so, at the
moment of registration we should give their national identification numbers. Except insurance, registered person gets
an access to trainings and courses and individual advice of
the counselor.
Often people who report to the Labour Office are nervous
and stressed. However, remember that this is not a test of fitness for work. You have to bring all of these documents, so
that the office worker can collect information and find job
that matches your capabilities and predispositions. Remember that an official of the state institution has a duty to treat
you with dignity, fairly and with respect!
A person registered as unemployed has a number of rights
an d can use various forms of assistance available in the PUP,
but has also responsibilities. One of them is an obligation to
report to the District Labour Office within the prescribed
period the confirmation of readiness for work. In case we do
not report at prescribed day and we do not inform the office
within one week of the reasons of our absence, we lose the
status of an unemployed person without the possibility of reregistration for 120 days! Persons registered in the Labour
Office are also required to take jobs proposed by the PUP and
to keep the office informed about significant changes of the
situation (for example about taking a job).
In the next part of this guide we will write about various
forms of employment and answer the question: What exactly
is a legal job?
Translation: Gosia Drewa
Canada is a dream
for many refugees.
The idea of
resettlement to that
country occurs not only
to those who did not
manage to obtain the
refugee status in the EU
countries. This North
American country
attracts even those who
have already obtained
the refugee status and
lead a normal life in
Europe.
Canada is the second largest country
in the world (after Russia)
I want to set off for Canada
Elabek Davletbaev
Abdul-Wachab (35 years old):
I have attempted to obtain the refugee
status in Poland and in other EU countries
since 2008. But I receive negative decisions
time after time. Therefore, I would like to
go to Canada. My friends told me that
there one could obtain the refugee status
at once. Unfortunately I haven’t managed
to go there so far. As far as I know, the
only possibility to go there is through the
agency of the United Nations (UN). However, the clerks in Warsaw don’t even want
to talk to me about that.
Zaur (32 years old): I have had the sta-
tus of refugee in Poland for a few years.
I can live here but I don’t get enough support. While it is true that I work, my salary
is too low – it hardly covers the costs of
renting the flat and buying food. I can’t
think of founding a family. Canada offers
fat salaries for workers and I’m not afraid
of any job.
Said (48 years old): I live in Austria.
I have been granted the refugee status.
I have everything that is necessary to live:
a flat, financial aid etc. But like all normal people I want to earn more. I have
a friend in Canada who works on a farm
and makes a lot of money. Unfortunately,
I can’t go there.
Adlan (26 years old): I have lived in
Canada since 2002. We managed to resettle due to the help of the UN. What
I like most in this country is the lack of dis-
crimination towards people in regards to
their origin, which unfortunately happens
in European countries. Besides, earnings
are high here. In my view, Canada is the
best country for resettlement.
Not all refugees
may be resettled
A departure from the country of asylum to another country, e.g. Canada, is
possible by means of resettlement. But
only few people meet the conditions necessary to take this kind of solution.
– Resettlement is in fact a transfer of
a refugee from the country of first asylum to another one – says Magda Qandil,
information adviser at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) in Poland. – It is one of the
durable solutions, promoted by UNHCR,
that together with a local integration and
voluntary returns expresses responsibility and international solidarity between
countries,
According to the UNHCR recommendations resettlement should be
considered as a solution if a refugee is
exposed to risk in the country of first
asylum or if he or she has particular
needs like legal and physical protection,
protection in respect of a sex (women),
guarantee of the unity of family or nonstandard medical care. Resettlement is
also possible in case of children, youth
and people advanced in years but also
when a person is a victim of violence,
tortures or if there are no prospects for
the local integration.
There are no resettlements from countries that guarantee protection for refugees and access to the rights specified in
the Geneva Convention. Resettlements
are organized mainly from Nepal, Thailand, Syria, Kenya and Malaysia. About
70% of the resettled refugees come from
Iraq, Burma and Bhutan.
UNHCR estimates that about 805
thousands of people need to be resettled, which accounts for more than
10% of the population of all refugees
in the world. The number of places
available on a global scale basically
doesn’t change and it doesn’t increase
along with the number of refugees of
resettlement needs that increases. For
instance, last year the countries participating in the program offered about
80 thousands of places for the resettled
refugees whereas UNHCR estimates
that 172,3 thousands of refugees should
be resettled in 2011.
Therefore, resettlement is a solution
that is planned and used strategically. It
involves making difficult choices under
strict control of the process by UNHCR,
which is caused by the needs in this respect as well as by the limited number
of places available in the resettlements
countries. It should be mentioned however that resettlement is not refugee’s right.
What’s more, it is not a duty of a given
country to take refugees who came by
means of resettlement.
Canada –
the promised land
Canada, as we have already mentioned, is one of the countries that takes
refugees within the framework of resettlements. About 5,5–6,5 thousands
of refugees from all over the world are
resettled there annually (data concerning the years 2005–2009). The number
of places for refugees is limited and set
annually by the Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration.
Canada takes refugees as a part of
resettlement if they are reported by UNHCR, other organizations identified by
Canada or as a part of Private Sponsorship Program. Criteria employed by UNHCR in case of Canada are the same as
while resettling refugees to other countries. This North American country
usually proposes the following things to
refugees: a right to permanent residence
abolition
Marta Grzymkowska
Who will benefit?
immediately after their arrival, accommodation (e.g. in reception centres until the flat is provided), sustenance and
clothes for up to 12 months. Refugees receive family allowance, help while applying for health and social insurance and
for employment. They can also expect
support in language learning as well as in
social and cultural orientation concerning life in Canada.
Private Sponsorship is based on agreements concluded between organizations/
corporations and the Canadian Minister
of Citizenship and Immigration. In these
agreements sponsors sign a commitment (except for cases reported as part of
Joint Assistance Sponsorship) that they
will financially support refugees up to
one year of their stay in Canada or until they emancipate, but no longer than
12 months. Under this support refugees are provided with accommodation,
sustenance and clothes. In particularly
justified cases assistance given as part
of a program may be extended up to
36 months. Refugees resettled in such
a way must fulfil the requirements specified by Canadian regulations (including
compliance with the conditions of being
a refugee that are specified in the Geneva
Convention).
Resettlements of refugees are realized
by a small number of countries including, apart from Canada, the following:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, the
Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
France, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland,
Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway,
Paraguay, Portugal, the USA, Sweden,
Uruguay, the UK. Efforts concerning the
inclusion of Poland to the group of countries that take refugees as part of resettlements are in progress.
Translation: Beata Chrapiec
Abolition aims to cover three groups
of people. According to the new regulation, those who are staying in Poland
continuously since 20 December 2007
will be able to legalize their stay. In addition, its beneficiaries will be also the
people who have been staying on the
territory of Poland continuously since
at least 1 January 2010, and who had received before that date a binding decision refusing refugee status, alongside
with a decision on expulsion. The last
group of people affected by the new law
constitute those who, on 1 January 2010,
were undergoing the proceedings for
refugee status initiated by a subsequent
application.
Permission for legal residence will be
granted for two years. At that time, a person covered by abolition will be able to
undertake legal employment on a regular basis – no additional permits will be
required. The act legalizing the stay of
some foreigners on Polish territory aims
to help illegal immigrants get out of the
‘grey zone’ and lead to better integration
into Polish society.
– We want Poland to be an open,
hospitable and friendly state for people
seeking in our country new opportunities for a better life – said Bronislaw Komorowski, having signed the new legislation. The president also acknowledged
that the amnesty is only a temporary
solution and assured he it will encourage the new government to create system solutions to regulate the issues of
foreigners’ stay in Poland on regular basis. He said that Poland should develop
a conscious policy of immigration for
the future.
Application to a voivod
An application for permission to legally stay in Poland for 2 years must be
submitted within six months after the
act’s entry into force, ie. within the period from 1 January to 30 June 2012. The
authority accepting such requests is the
voivod competent for the place of residence. Application forms will be available in all voivodship offices and the
website of the Office for Foreigners.
As the Ministry of Internal Affairs
and Administration estimates, several
thousand foreigners, mostly Ukrainians,
but also Vietnamese, Armenians and
Chechens, will benefit out of the amnesty next year. This will be the third amnesty in Poland – the earlier ones, in the
years 2003 and 2007, brought benefits to
a total of about 4.5 thousand people, but
this time the rules are more lenient, and
the action is to be preceded by an extensive information campaign. In the previous years, to take advantage of amnesty,
it was necessary to prove a 10 years stay
in Poland, possess a document certifying
the right to the premises occupied, and
have a work permit. Currently these conditions were abandoned, as well as the
requirement of having sufficient means
of subsistence.
The project of the signed act on legalizing the stay of foreigners was prepared
by the government. The need for amnesty had been reported for a few years by
the foreigners’ environment and people
assisting immigrants, among them: Association of Ukrainians, NGOs and local
communities.
Alongside with the so called abolition
act, the president also approved changes
to the act on granting protection to foreigners within the territory of the Republic of Poland, and the act on foreigners.
They will support granting help for foreigners transferred to Poland by means
of relocation or resettlement. These are
beneficiaries of international protection
moved from another European Union
country to Poland (relocation), or the
foreigners recognized as refugees by the
United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (resettlement). Under the new
rules the government will be able to issue
a regulation specifying the number of
foreigners who may be resettled to Polish territory in a given year. The regulation will also enumerate the states from
which foreigners will be able to come.
This way Poland will join the group of
countries which accept refugees under
resettlement. (The right to be resettled
from the first country of asylum shall be
granted to certain refugees only. More
about resettlement can be found in the
article ‘I want to go to Canada’).
According to the Office for Foreigners, there are currently almost 100,000
foreigners staying on Polish territory legally, while around 50 to 70 thousand are
here against the law.
Translation: Agata Motek
2. Social aid, advisory, information
Polish Humanitarian Organisation
Refugee Counselling Center
ul. Szpitalna 5/18
00-031 Warszawa
Tel.: (22) 828 88 82
E-mail: [email protected]
www.pah.org.pl
Polish Migration Forum Foundation
www.forummigracyjne.org
“Ocalenie” Foundation
ul. Ordynacka 9/21
00-364 Warszawa
Tel.: (22) 828 50 54
E-mail: [email protected]
www.ocalenie.org.pl
The Fu Shenfu Migrant Centre
ul. Ostrobramska 98
04-118 Warszawa
Tel.: (22) 610 02 52
E-mail: [email protected]
Foundation of Education and Creativity
ul. ks. Abramowicza 1
15-872 Białystok
tel. (85) 742 40 41
Caritas Poland – Center of Support for Migrants
and Refugees
www.migranci.caritas.pl
Caritas of Lublin Archdiocese
ul. Prymasa Stefana Wyszyńskiego 2
20-950 Lublin;
Tel./Fax: (81) 743 71 86 (ext. 310)
E-mail: [email protected]
Caritas of Zielonogóra and Gorzów Diocese
ul. Wojska Polskiego 140
69-100 Słubice
Tel.: (95) 737 40 06
Fax: (95) 737 40 07
Caritas of Legnica Diocese
ul. Domańskiego 12
59-900 Zgorzelec
Tel./Fax: (75) 77 16 561
Caritas of Białystok Archdiocese
ul. Warszawska 32
15-077 Białystok
Tel./Fax: (85) 732 55 53
Caritas – Center of Support for Migrants
and Refugees
ul. Warszawska 15
21-500 Biała Podlaska
Tel./Fax: (83) 342 07 96
Providing aid to refugees
There will be abolition for foreigners – it is already
certain. On August 26, the Polish President Bronislaw
Komorowski signed the so called abolition act.
Provisions allowing the legalization of stay in Poland will
come into force at the beginning of 2012.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Al. Szucha 13/15, flat 17
00-580 Warszawa
Tel.: (22) 628 69 30
www.unhcr-rrbp.org/poland
International Organisation for Migration
ul. Mariensztat 8
00-302 Warszawa
Tel.: (22) 538 91 03
E-mail: [email protected]
www.iom.pl
Organisations
Next year’s
1. International organisations
3. Legal aid
The Halina Nieć Legal Aid Centre
ul. Krowoderska 11/7
31-141 Kraków
Tel.: (12) 633 72 23
e-mail: [email protected]
www.pomocprawna.org
The Jagiellonian University Human Rights
Centre
Al. Zygmunta Krasińskiego 18
30-101 Kraków
Tel.: (12) 427 24 80
www.opc.uj.edu.pl
The Polish Rule of Law Foundation
ul. Chopina 14/84
20-023 Lublin
Tel:/Fax: (81) 743 68 05
Tel:/Fax: (81) 532 40 69
Association for Legal Intervention
ul. Al. 3-go Maja 12 lok. 510
00-391 Warszawa
Tel.: (22) 621 51 65
www.interwencjaprawna.pl
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
ul. Zgody 11
00-018 Warszawa
Tel.: (22) 828 10 08
www.hfhrpol.waw.pl
Faculty of Law and Administration Warsaw
University
Law Advice Centre
ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28
00-325 Warszawa
Tel./Fax: (22) 552 43 18
Tel.: (22) 552 08 11
e-mail: [email protected]
www.klinika.wpia.uw.edu.p
Poland for Foreigners
– A Mini Guide
What are some of the things that Poles are wont to do? How should one behave in a market, a shop or on
the road? What can one expect from one’s neighbours or from total strangers? How should one respond to
a casual greeting? You will find answers to all these questions in our mini guide to Polish customs and conventions.
Aleksandra Górecka
To begin with – “dzień
dobry” (“good morning”)
Poles greet one another in a very traditional and rather dry manner by saying “dzień
dobry”. You may hear these simple words
from your neighbours, for instance. And you
should also say them as soon as you enter
any institution. Of course, if someone manages to say them first, you should respond in
the same way. If you wish to greet someone
in a less formal manner, you may say “cześć”
(“hello”). It is also common to shake hands.
Some men (especially the older generation)
will greet a woman by kissing her hand. Some
women find this extremely gallant, but some
do not like it at all, so one needs to be careful.
In any case, hand-kissing is only done inside
buildings and never in an official setting (e.g.
in an office). One should always bow down
to the hand, never pull the hand up to one’s
lips. A very warm and rather common form of
greeting a friend is a kiss on the cheek. With
family members, three kisses are the norm,
but among friends one is usually sufficient.
When travelling by public transport, one
should give up one’s seat to an older person
or a pregnant woman. However, one should
also avoid forcing this courtesy on someone
who does not want it, as it might hurt the
person’s feelings. For a stranger in a public
place it would be rare to reciprocate your
smile. Poles are unlikely to strike up an acquaintance on their way to work or a shopping centre.
When asked “co słychać” (“how are you
doing?”), a member of the older generation
may answer bluntly, “po staremu” (“same as
before”), while a younger person would be
more likely to say “wszystko w porządku”
(“all right”). However, a longer conversation
would probably reveal that there was hardly
anything positive to be mentioned. This
shows that Poles are not overly effusive and
that they rather like to grumble. One should
get used to it, or try to overcome this habit.
However, it is also very likely that, on closer
acquaintance, one would be told as many
stories and anecdotes as one’s Polish friend
could remember.
Time is money
Being late is frowned upon. Although
the adage “punctuality is the worst thief of
time” tends to be true among many Eastern
nations, Poles have a radically different attitude towards this issue. They take time very
seriously. You should always arrive at a meeting at the appointed time. This is particularly
important in official relations, for example,
when applying for a job.
If you are visiting a Polish home, you can
be certain of a warm and hospitable reception. Especially in a rural household you should
expect to be invited to partake in a meal with
your host and to be offered the most comfortable armchair in the room. A Polish host
will rarely be able to resist the urge to ply the
guest with a home-made alcoholic beverage.
You should certainly show your appreciation
of the traditional Polish hospitality.
Polish driving
As far as driving is concerned, traffic in
Polish cities is noticeably more orderly than
in non-European countries. Drivers generally
try to abide by the prevailing rules, though
they scrupulously count down to the green
light, so as not to waste a single second of
their precious time. Should a driver become
so absorbed in a colourful billboard as to linger after the change of traffic lights, he or she
will be instantly reprimanded with impatient
honking. One should always be careful on
a public road, even if a mere pedestrian.
Buying, haggling, tips
In the country on the Vistula one rarely
meets a buyer willing to haggle. To be sure,
merchants are legally obliged to negotiate the
price should the buyer wish to do so. However, one is unlikely ever to meet anyone who
would try to obtain a discount by negotiating
with a shop assistant. Moreover, any attempt
to engage the cashier in a large supermarket
in a long conversation will attract the ire of
the other shoppers in the queue. It is better
to hurry up loading one’s purchases in an
eco-friendly bag and to leave the checkout
as quickly as possible. This would be rather
different at a traditional market, where one
can buy fresh fruit, vegetables or bread, and
at places selling souvenirs and products of
handicraft. Here any contact with the seller
will be most welcome.
As to tipping, it is generally assumed that
about 10% of the bill is the right amount, but
anything higher than that will be greatly appreciated. If you are satisfied with the service
or the meal, you may show this by rounding
up the bill.
Language skills
More and more people in Poland speak
foreign languages. It appears that most wait-
ers and shop assistants in larger cities have no
problem communicating in English or German. Statistical data suggests that members
of the young generation are the most proficient – as many as 77% of Poles in the 18–24
years age bracket speak foreign languages,
and the figure rises to 89% among students.
Older people usually have no problem communicating in Russian, as they had to learn
this language at school, when the Communists were in power.
Please, excuse me,
thank you
One should always be polite. Such words
as please, thank you and excuse me cannot
be used too often. The phrase “przepraszam”
(“I’m sorry”) smooths over unpleasant situations or minor accidents as if by magic. If you
jostle someone in the street or inadvertently
hurt someone’s feelings, it is always a good
idea to say sorry. “Proszę” (“Please”) encourages cooperation, while “dziękuję” (“thank
you”) helps to maintain and develop contacts.
culture
Controversial quiz
in Dutch TV
VPRO Television had the startling idea of creating a quiz for the people, who unsuccessfully applied for asylum in
the Netherlands and in the near future will have to return to the country of origin. Show Weg van Nederland
(“Go away from the Netherlands”), emitted from early September, caused controversy even before broadcasting.
Some consider the idea disgusting, others say opposite – that it sheds a light on the problems of foreigners.
Monika Dominik
Back home with
a bag of onions
There are five participants of the quiz.
They are young, educated foreigners. For
example in the first episode there were
participating aeronautical engineer from
Cameroon and Slavic language student
from Chechnya. Participants have to answer questions about the Netherlands:
about the language, culture and history,
artists, and the Dutch royal family. A person who demonstrates the widest knowledge wins 4000 Euro for starting a new
life in the country of origin. Other players receive a consolation prize, such as a
bag of onions or bulletproof vest. The first
episode of the show was won by young
Kurdish, who came to Netherlands from
Armenia.
First mentions of Weg van Nederland
in the internet caused quite a stir. Some
resent the use of the problems of foreigners in the entertaining form, but its creators argue that through this quiz they
have a chance to focus attention to these
problems. VPRO chief editor Frank Wier-
inga also initially was not delighted with
the idea.
– My first reaction was a thought: What
a terrible idea, do not do that. But when I
looked deeper at the problem, I decided:
We have to do this! Weg van Nederland
focuses attention to the fact that many
foreigners with an order to return to their
country of origin have children, who live
in the Netherlands eight years or longer.
Gained a good education, speak Dutch
fluently, and had seen their country only
on TV. We believe that it is time to stop
and think about it – says Wieringa.
Uncertain future
According to the European Statistical Office just last year considered in
the Netherlands over 17 thousand asylum applications. Positive decision has
been issued in about 8 thousand cases.
So 56% asylum seekers got negative decisions. Procedure of applying for asylum
in the Netherlands can take from several
months to several years. During this time
foreigners learn the language, often take a
job and start families. But they live in uncertainty about the future in the country,
where they found shelter and which they
started to treat as their own homeland.
– We hope that Weg van Nederland will
make people think more about how we
treat asylum seekers and what they have
to go through – says Wouter van Zandwijk from refugee support group “Vluchtelingenwerk”.
A quarter of a million
applications for asylum
The European Statistical Office reported that in the European Union almost 240
thousand asylum applications were registered last year: mainly from Iraq – 29
thousands, Russia – 21,1 thousands, and
from other countries like Somalia, Serbia
and Afghanistan. 194 thousand decisions
were issued, while 73% of them were negative. Most requests were sent to France
(41.8 thousands), Great Britain (30.5
thousands), Germany (26.9 thousands),
and also to Sweden, Greece, Belgium and
the Netherlands.
In Poland 8.5 thousand applications
were registered. Half of them were dealt
with, 2770 cases finished with positive de-
cision. Even 91% asylum seekers in Poland
are Chechens. In the last quarter Poland
has got 38% of all applications made by
Russian citizens in the EU (much further
in statistics are Austria, France, Belgium
and Sweden).
In Poland, among others, also 70 Iraqis
and 70 citizens of Georgia were seeking
asylum. The statistics of Eurostat note that
to Poland come relatively many children
under the age of 13 years. In the last quarter of 2008, it made up 38% (the highest
percentage in the EU) of all applications.
For comparison – the EU average is 16%.
At the end of last year the biggest amount –
more than 30 thousand people – was waiting to submit their applications in France,
which was followed by Sweden, Belgium
and Germany (from 18 to 24 thousands).
Island Malta is an interesting case
– the smallest EU country, where mass
immigration comes from Africa. It turns
out that the chances to get asylum there
are surprisingly large. From 2685 decisions issued last year 1410 were positive
– mainly for refugees from the war engulfed Somalia.
Translation: Gosia Drewa
To Olga H.
To Olga…
I see you in my dream But is it really so?
Come here to me, come quick I’m melting like spring snow.
I’m simply going mad
My God, you are so far away!
It’s you and no-one else
Who’ll help me find the way.
You will give me the world
And you’ll teach me love’s name
We needn’t say any more words,
Both of us feel the same…
A. M.
Translation: Dorota Skomra
I close my eyes and I see:
your smile, your voice and your face
Oh how I wish I could live
Not thinking about my ill fate.
We might never be able to be
So close: maybe all this is in vain…
So what! When I’m touching your hands
I dissolve and forget all the pain.
I’d love the sun to shine for us;
To give you joy – that is my yearning.
I close my eyes and you are far.
Still, passion and hope are burning.
A. M.
Translation: Dorota Skomra
Announcing the winners in
the Holiday Souvenirs competition
1st Prize
Thank you for
submitting your work!
You have been very
creative and you have
shown how interesting
and full of adventures
your holidays were.
Winners will receive
gifts (congratulations!),
while all submitted
drawings will be
published on
www.refugee.pl.
Have a look!
Alita, 12
years old,
Chechnya
2nd
3rd Prize
rize
P
ia
g
r
o
e
G
old,
s
r
a
e
y
Lali, 10
Address of the editorial office:
ul. Szpitalna 5/3, 00-031 Warszawa
www.refugee.pl
[email protected]
Publisher:
Polish Humanitarian Organisation
Sami, 9
years ol
d, Eritr
ea
Head of the editorial office: Marta Grzymkowska
Editorial team: Natalia Tlałka, Anna Sidoruk, Joanna Chrzanowska,
Dorota Skomra, Sylwia Modzelewska, Philip Korczyński, Katarzyna
Polak, Barbara Olejnik, Monika Dominik, Elabek Davletbaev,
Ilona Sójka, Paulina Kość, Leszek Pędzisz, Magdalena Babińska,
Aleksandra Gąsior, Monika Klimkiewicz
Graphic design: Teresa Oleszczuk
Russian translation: Małgorzata Dybcio (translators coordinator)
English translation: Ewa Górska (translators coordinator)
Not-signed photographs come from wikicommons.
The project is co-financed from the European
Refugee Fund and the state budget.
The exclusive responsibility for all paragraphs or publications published in the paper rests
with their authors. The European Commission shall not be responsible for the method in which
the information made available is used.
You are also invited to visit our portal devoted to refugees and migrants –
www.refugee.pl