The 5th Cooperation and Integration Forum took place on October 24-25, 2024, bringing together experts and leaders from 58 of social organizations working on behalf of migrants in 18 cities in Poland. The meeting was held at the Gromada Hotel in Warsaw, with the theme of discussing key challenges and new directions for migration policy in Poland.
Day One: Debates, inspiration and networking
The forum began by introducing participants to current advocacy challenges, emphasizing the need to adapt local and national efforts to the dynamically changing environment. Magda Nazimek, an advocacy expert, also presented the Migration Consortium’s plans in the context of advocacy.
The next item was a debate entitled “The Office for Foreigners and social organizations: common fields of work,” moderated by Agnieszka Kosowicz, Polish Migration Forum and Migration Consortium. The special guest was Tomasz Cytrynowicz, Head of the Office for Foreigners, who shared his insights on the daily work of the office and answered questions from people who work directly with the office – for example, by assisting migrants in settling their cases.
The afternoon was filled with a session entitled. “Flying Academy,” which presented diverse perspectives on the situation of the Roma and Ukrainian minorities, migration from Belarus, and the challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ people and people with disabilities in the context of migration:
- “Roma people from Romania and Ukraine in Poland: current situation, challenges and practical actions,” Joanna Talewicz, Foundation Towards Dialogue
- “The Ukrainian minority in the context of migration from Ukraine,” Aleksandra Zapolska, Zustricz Foundation
- “Migration from Belarus to Poland: trends, challenges, perspectives,” Enira Bronitskaya, Human Constanta
- Activities to support LGBTIQ+ people in the context of migration, Darin Loka
- “Dependency and independence of people with disabilities and their caregivers with migration experience in a systemic context”, Maria Buchanowska, PATCHWORK Association for immigrant families of people with disabilities
Each of these lectures emphasized the importance of support and understanding of the specific needs of vulnerable groups, which have a key impact on the effectiveness of integration processes.
In the evening, there was an Inspiratorium entitled “Talents of Migrants and Migrant Women” – organized in cooperation with the ASHOKA Foundation – and a joint dinner. It was a networking meeting with international social innovators from Europe hosted by the Hello Accelerator program of the ASHOKA Foundation (https://helloaccelerator.ashoka.org/). In a relaxed atmosphere over a shared meal, participants had the opportunity to make new contacts and get inspired for future activities.
Day Two: Migration strategy work and working groups
The second day of the Forum began with a joint breakfast, after which Magda Sadura from the Polish Migration Forum presented a case study on the anti-migration program in organizations dealing with migration.
Then Witold Klaus of the Migration Consortium discussed key elements of the migration strategy, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers on October 15. The strategy sparked opposition from many social organizations, including the Migration Consortium: https://konsorcjum.org.pl/10-punktow-krytyki-rzadowej-strategii-migracyjnej/.
The next part of the day was intensive work in working groups prepared in cooperation with the public participation team of the Shipyard Foundation and organizations of the Migration Consortium. The groups discussed such topics as access to territory and legalization of residence, access to the labor market, education, as well as integration and citizenship issues.
Summary
The 5th Cooperation and Integration Forum was not only an opportunity to exchange knowledge, but also a step towards closer cooperation between various entities involved in activities for migrants in Poland. The event allowed participants to exchange experiences, establish new relationships and create joint action plans that will certainly contribute to building a more open and welcoming society.
We would like to thank the partners of the 5th Cooperation and Integration Forum: Shipyard Foundation, ASHOKA Foundation and Open Society Foundation. We also thank Aleksandra Fertlinska and Jolanta Steciuk for preparing the meeting program.
