The post-emergency project entitled "Rebuilding and strengthening resilience for adaptation and integration of Ukrainian refugees in Poland”, a sequel to project 2023, attempts to address the major gaps in the assistance delivered to the Ukrainian refugees.
The main goal of this project is to help refugees gradually adapt and be integrated into Polish society. This project has two specific intended outcomes: that Ukrainian refugees are (a) settled in a regular flat or apartment and (b) engaged in part-time or full-time jobs or self-entrepreneurship.
As of the Second Quarter (2024), the Camillians have assisted an average of 71 refugees, including children and the elderly in our shelters. More than half of the regular beneficiaries are contributing financially to the project. Their contribution helps in sustaining the programs, thus helping fellow refugees. In addition, a total of 8656 refugees, mostly new arrivals living outside our shelters, received food and non-food assistance and referrals to vital social services.
The government of Poland in concordance with the EU Regulations, the Ukrainian refugees will enjoy temporary protection status until September 25, 2025. CADIS International and the Camillians in Poland will sustain the post-emergency response project (Phase 3) focusing on the adaptation and integration of Ukrainian refugees in Poland until the end of this year. The following are the programs being implemented and its achievements as of the 2nd quarter:
(1) Provide a long-term shelter to 75 refugees in Łomianki and Ursus.
As of June 2024, seventy-seven (77) direct beneficiaries (children and adults) are served by the project programs in Ursus (35) and Łomianki (42). The project offers three types of shelter to Ukrainian refugees – autonomous shelter, semi-autonomous and subsidized.
All our facilities in both places are equipped with basic services such as electricity, water, heater, internet, waste disposal system, and laundry. They also have a recreation room, television and dining room. Currently, we have rented 8 training apartments in Ursus. As of June 2024, we have 24 guests in the apartments - 15 women, 3 men, 6 children.
Each family has access to health services such as a psychologist, doctor, and specialist as needed. The program assistant is facilitating access to all needed services.
Almost all of the beneficiaries have decided to live in Poland permanently. Most of them have a job. However, the salary they are receiving is often the lowest in the country and not at par with the locals. This raises concerns about the prospect of living independently in Poland with one breadwinner in the family. Refugees in our center at Łomianki, as agreed, by 2025, they will have to take full responsibility for covering rental costs and the basic necessities.
(2) Facilitate access of refugees to the labor market to obtain part-time or full-time jobs and the coworking space for skilled refugees interested in self-employed or alternative livelihood activities
From the very beginning, we assumed that Harna, the coworking space, would eventually become self-sustainable. However, due to inflation, the costs of maintaining and renting the space and its operating expenses are increasing. The project management team is looking for a cheaper and cost-efficient space and external funding. Ten women are using the 8 workstations in the coworking space on a daily basis. The regular users of the coworking space who had been there for several months have stable financial income. The biggest challenge the women faced is transitioning their business activities, which they conduct on preferential rental terms in the coworking space, to the realities of running their own business in a self-rented space. To improve and enhance our assistance to refugees, we employed Polish personnel as well as Ukrainian.
(3) Advisory points
The assistance desk at the central train and bus stations is continued. A coordinator is assigned to oversee all the activities at the information and assistance desks for new arrivals. They are assisted by a good number of volunteers, mostly homeless clients of the Camillian Foundation. Many of them speak Russian, making it easy to communicate with refugees. They sometimes accompany refugees to offices or shops.
The program is very helpful in the process of adaptation and integration into Polish society. The key aspects include legal and administrative support. Refugees often encounter difficulties related to legal and administrative procedures.
We help them understand and handle the formalities related to residence, employment, education, and healthcare. We support them in job searching, which is crucial for refugee integration. We cooperate with two other non-governmental organizations that assist refugees in finding employment. Refugees, especially those who fled from war, need psychological support. The advisory centers offer psychological and social assistance, which is vital for their well-being and adaptation. In the second quarter of 2024, a total of 8,656 refugees were assisted.
Phase 3 programs have delivered assistance to refugees on the following needs: medical, psychological, food and non-food, education, protection and shelter. At the end of the 2nd quarter of 2024, 77 refugees, including children and the elderly, were served by our project. We have an average of 71 refugees served every month in Ursus and Łomianki.
CADIS and the Camillians remain committed to supporting the achievements gained in the past two years of working and accompanying people who are displaced by war.
