Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have access to labour market on the same conditions as Polish citizens. There is no difference between refugees and subsidiary protection beneficiaries in this regard. Access to employment is not limited to certain sectors.
Beneficiaries of international protection face many challenges in accessing the labour market. It starts with the long period of exclusion during the first six months of the procedure for international protection when they are not allowed to work. Then they face other obstacles, such as discrimination by potential employers and performance of simple and low-paid jobs, which pushes them into undocumented work. They often work below their qualifications and skills or do not work at all due to family responsibilities. Other problems influencing their situation are trauma and depression. Also, research shows that in order to achieve a good level of integration in the labour market, it is important to have appropriate information, social networks, adequate language training, and a welcoming atmosphere.[1] However, the two most significant challenges that beneficiaries of international protection need to overcome to access the labour market are language and recognition of education and qualifications.[2] Additionally, local labour offices are rated quite negatively by NGO representatives working with refugees, since they are not prepared to help beneficiaries of international protection to enter the labour market in Poland, despite a clear obligation to do so in the law.[3] NGOs report that foreign employees face discrimination, based on multiple factors (including nationality, race, religion, gender, age).[4]
Low language skills and low professional qualifications results in unemployment or employment with low salary; instability of employment; small chances for a promotion.[5] It is easier to find a job in bigger cities, e.g. in Warsaw where vocational trainings are provided in foreign languages. Support of the state is only provided during the 12-month Individual Integration Programme (IPI). Although beneficiaries of international protection have access to professional qualifications programs, they are held in Polish which exclude their participation in practice. There are no programs specially dedicated to foreigners improving professional qualifications by learning Polish. Additionally, the specific needs of foreigners are not taken into account.[6]
In the report from 2020, the following issues were identified: insufficient knowledge of Polish by beneficiaries of international protection, modest linguistic skills of the labour market services and limited ties and social networks, which often act as barriers for them to find a job.[7] Assistance provided by social workers within IPI in most cases consists of support in completing the documentation necessary to register at the labour office, searching for job offers and contacting a potential employer as well as informing about the possibility of participating in vocational training in Polish. Vocational trainings on the other hand do not respond to market needs.[8]
An important finding of the study is that despite early and effective inclusion in the labour market which gives a greater chance for integration of beneficiaries of international protection with Polish society, there is a lack of mechanism to mainstream integration of beneficiaries of international protection in the labour market. There is also a lack of a monitoring system for the acquisition of work skills and recognition of qualifications as well as for labour market inclusion of beneficiaries of international protection. Moreover, data related to trainings and the effectiveness of IPI in relation to labour market inclusion are not collected in a systematic way.[9]
One of the key problems remains insufficient knowledge of the Polish language by beneficiaries of international protection. Refugees interviewed for research often bring up that employers do not have time for explanations and translations.[10] Hence, provision of long-term and effective language courses remains one of the key factors needed for improving the access to labour market. In 2021, it was reported that only around 35% of beneficiaries of international protection attended language courses. This results from either lack of courses in some localities, an inability to reconcile work with participation in a course due to the latter’s hours, or low attractiveness of the courses (i.e. their failure to meet the needs of refugees).[11]
Another issue reported in 2022 by SIP is that migrant workers who suffered exploitation or abuse in Poland are not sufficiently assisted. No state support is offered to them. National Labour Inspectorate is an authority that investigates the legality of migrants’ work and punishes them for working without needed documents rather than offering support in the event of exploitation or abuse.[12]
On the contrary, in 2023 anti-discrimination measures in labour context were considered adequate. It was found for relatively easy for claimants, including foreigners, to assert discrimination in the context of court proceedings; however, very few employees come forward with complaints.[13]
In general, the integration of refugees has not been perceived as a holistic process by the government. As a result, refugees very often end up living in poverty, and are left in a vicious circle of dependence on social welfare.[14] Various legal acts address different facets of integration policy pertaining to beneficiaries of international protection, albeit to varying degrees and without a specific focus on the topic,[15] but overall Poland lacks an official integration strategy.
Despite the absence of a national migration and integration framework, there are some truly recommendable initiatives in this area at the local level. Apart from Warsaw, a notable example is Gdansk. In 2015-2016, the City prepared an immigrant integration model, which still successfully serves as a basis for the integration of foreigners in the municipality. The model foresees actions in support of integration in the areas of education, local communities, culture, health, employment, social assistance and housing, as well as against violence and discrimination. Furthermore, Gdansk created an Immigrant Council, a consultative body consisting of EU and third country immigrants to advise the City in immigration and integration matters. It convenes about once a month.[16]
On 24 October 2023, the Board of Directors of the region of Malopolska adopted the Programme of Integration of Immigrants in the Malopolska Region (‘Open Malopolska’). This is the first document of its kind officially adopted at the regional level in Poland. The main goal of the programme is to strengthen the integration of immigrants in the Malopolska region. The programme was developed collaboratively, involving workshops with more than 200 representatives of government and local administrations, civil society organisations, immigrant communities, employers, educational and cultural institutions and academic and research communities. The implementation of the programme will be collaboratively evaluated every three years.[17] The Programme enumerates the main challenges with regard to access to labour market of foreigners in Poland in general, which are: language barrier, long and complicated process of recognition of qualification or limitations in self-employment. As for the recognition of qualification the authors observe, that some facilitations in this regard cannot limit the verification of knowledge and experience. Ensuring equivalence in qualification acquired in the country of origin and in the host country constitute a basis for building trust to foreign employees by service receivers and by employers.[18]
[1] K. Sobczak-Szelc, M. Pachocka, K. Pędziwiatr, J. Szałańska, M. Szulecka, From Reception to Integration of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Poland, 2023, available at: http://bit.ly/3KiKMCy, 179.
[2] K. Sobczak-Szelc, M. Pachocka, K. Pędziwiatr, J. Szałańska, M. Szulecka, From Reception to Integration of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Poland, 2023, available at: http://bit.ly/3KiKMCy, 168.
[3] Ibidem, 171.
[4] P. Mickiewicz, Dyskryminacja cudzoziemców na rynku pracy [in] Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej (SIP), SIP w działaniu. Prawa cudzoziemców w Polsce w 2018 r. (2019), available (in Polish) at: http://bit.ly/2S507LV, 53.
[5] Mikołaj Pawlak ‘Zatrudnienie’ in A Górska, M Koss-Goryszewska, J Kucharczyk (eds), W stronę krajowego machanizmu ewaluacji integracji: Diagnoza sytuacji beneficjentów ochrony międzynarodowej w Polsce (Instutut Spraw Publicznych 2019), 32.
[6] Mikołaj Pawlak, ‘Kwalifikacje zawodowe’ in A. Górska, M. Koss-Goryszewska, J. Kucharczyk (eds), W stronę krajowego machanizmu ewaluacji integracji: Diagnoza sytuacji beneficjentów ochrony międzynarodowej w Polsce (Instutut Spraw Publicznych 2019), 37.
[7] K. Sobczak-Szelc, M. Pachocka, K. Pędziwiatr, J. Szałańska, ‘Integration Policies, Practices and Responses. Poland – Country Report’, Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond Project (#770564, Horizon2020), available at: http://bit.ly/3bfjTxL
[8] K. Sobczak-Szelc, M. Pachocka, K. Pędziwiatr, J. Szałańska, ‘Integration Policies, Practices and Responses. Poland – Country Report’, Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond Project (#770564, Horizon2020), available at: http://bit.ly/3bfjTxL
[9] K. Sobczak-Szelc, M. Pachocka, K. Pędziwiatr, J. Szałańska, ‘Integration Policies, Practices and Responses. Poland – Country Report’, Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond Project (#770564, Horizon2020), available at: http://bit.ly/3bfjTxL, 134.
[10] RESPOND Poland Policy Brief, Adult Refugees’ Integration in Poland, 2021, https://bit.ly/3vrD0QZ.
[11] RESPOND Poland Policy Brief, Adult Refugees’ Integration in Poland, 2021, https://bit.ly/3vrD0QZ.
[12] Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej and others, third party joint submission to the 41st Session of the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of Poland – 4th cycle, 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3mdl9ec.
[13] Council of Europe, European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), Report on Poland, sixth monitoring cycle, September 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/4az8MgJ, p.23.
[14] RESPOND Poland Policy Brief, Adult Refugees’ Integration in Poland, 2021, https://bit.ly/3vrD0QZ.
[15] K. Sobczak-Szelc, M. Pachocka, K. Pędziwiatr, J. Szałańska, ‘Integration Policies, Practices and Responses. Poland – Country Report’, Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond Project (#770564, Horizon2020), available at: http://bit.ly/3bfjTxL, 10.
[16] Council of Europe, European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), Report on Poland, sixth monitoring cycle, September 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/4az8MgJ, 22.
[17] European Website on Integration, Poland: Adoption of first regional strategy for migrant integration, 24 October 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3UPq4Ar.
[18] Programme of Integration of Immigrants in the Malopolska Region, ‘Open Malopolska’, Program integracji imigrantów w województwie małopolskim „Małopolska otwarta”, 24 October 2023, available (PL) at: https://bit.ly/3wnhZtB, 11.