Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 2024 Participatory Assessment in Poland, conducted between January 2024 and January 2025,reveals a complex landscape of challenges faced by refugees, mainly from Ukraine and Belarus. While many highlight the support they have receivedsince arrivingin Poland, significant barriers to full integrationremain. Based on 76 interviews across 10voivodships, the assessment highlights six key areas of concern: legal status and documentation challenges; economic inclusion and housing stability; access to services and information; social integration, education and language acquisition; and mental health and psychosocial well-being.
Refugees struggle with bureaucratic processes and often face uncertainty about their legalstatus prospects and difficulties in accessing clear information. Economic inclusionremains a major challenge, with many refugees facing discrimination in the laborand housing markets. The language barrier is proving to be a pervasive problem, affecting all aspects of integration, from access to healthcare to participation in children's education. Social inclusionis hampered by instances of discrimination and cultural misunderstanding, although there are positive examples of community acceptance.
The assessment identifies several vulnerable groups facing compounded challenges, including people with disabilities, older people, families with children and LGBTIQ+ refugees. These groups often require tailored support to overcome specific barriers to integration. The report also identifies a changing support landscape, with a reported decline in NGO activity and a depletion of funding for refugee assistance, adding to the insecurity faced by many.
Crucially, the assessment underlines the importance of actively listening to refugees and involving them in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. This participatory approach ensures that assistance is tailored to their real needs and preferences, rather than imposed from the top down. Based on these findings and the principle of refugee participation, the report proposes a number of solutions and recommendations. These include streamlining administrative procedures, increasing language learning opportunities, improving access to the job market, developing programs supporting social cohesion, and developing targeted programs for vulnerable groups. The recommendations emphasise the need for a coordinated approach involving government agencies, humanitarian partners,and UNHCR, in close cooperation with refugee communities, to address the multiple challenges they facein Poland and to promote their successful inclusioninto Polish society.