Tag: migrants

The last five years have been a period of rapid changes on the political scene in Poland – in 2015, presidential and parliamentary elections were held, and the election campaigns often referred to the dangers of immigration, aroused fears of refugees or Islamists, and appealed to anti-Semitic and anti-Ukrainian sentiments. At the same time, Europe faced the challenge of receiving and integrating large groups of immigrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Although this process was not visible in Poland, it became a subject of lively public debate, accompanied by real government action in this field.

Over 70 instances of hate crimes on racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, xenophobicand other grounds. This grim record is a result of Open Dialogue’s latest investigation into hate crimes in Poland. The report covers the period stretching from January to December 2019, and complements the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) annual reporting on “hate incidents” across the OSCE area. Most alarmingly, the report reveals a hate crime-conducive environment with the authorities turning a blind eye, or – worst still – being complicit in endorsing and spreading intolerance, stigmatisation, discrimination or even incitement to violence.

On May 25-26th, our Maksym Sytnikov and Katarzyna Szczypska, addressed the issues of ethnic tensions and ethnic discrimination in Kazakhstan and state-sponsored hatred by the public media in Poland at the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM).

According to the analysis of the Ministry of Justice, in the first half of 2018, 890 cases of hate crimes were reported to Polish law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, not all criminal acts motivated by racial, xenophobic, homophobic hatred, etc., are reported to law enforcement authorities.

Poll results have demonstrated that Poles are the most liked nation in Ukraine, ahead of Belarussians and Canadians. Yet, we do our best to make Ukrainians stop liking us.

The possibility of EU lifting the visa requirement for Ukrainians is good news, among others, for the ODF, which has supported the civil society in Ukraine since the time of the EuroMaidan. The consequences of entering a visa-free regime up to 90 days were discussed by R. Korbut on the Tok FM show.

Through illegal extraditions and violations of the rights of refugees, the Ukrainian authorities contribute towards the political persecution by Moldova, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

Representatives of the Foundation follow and attend the most important sessions and meetings of the international organizations and institutions in Brussels, Strasbourg, Vienna and Geneva.

“The Ukrainian World, situated at the corner of the Świętokrzyska Street and Nowy Świat in Warsaw, closed its doors after two and a half years of activity. The centre was helping Ukrainians and promoting the Ukrainian culture”, writes Gazeta Wyborcza.

After over two years of activity, the ODF closed down the Warsaw-based “Ukrainian World” centre. It was the first and biggest centre offering support to large numbers of Ukrainians arriving to Poland. From the beginning of its activity, the “Ukrainian World” helped over 30 000 people.

On 6 April at 6.00 p.m., again, the Ukrainian World Centre held classes of the Academy of Legalisation of Residence and Employment Support Policy for Foreigners in Poland. Maria Jakubovych, Chairperson of the Board of the Ternopilska Foundation, led the workshop.

On 30 March, the Ukrainian World Centre held the official opening of the Academy of Legalisation of Residence and Employment Support Policy for Foreigners in Poland, founded by the Open Dialogue Foundation within the framework of the Open Europe Group.

At around 18:45 on 10 September 2015, an explosion and fire broke out in the “Ukrainian World” centre at 63, Nowy Świat in Warsaw. The relevant services arrived on the scene: firefighters put out the fire and the police cordoned off the crime scene and began an investigation. No one was injured in the incident. […]

As a result of military operations in the Donbass, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their permanent places of residence and move to other regions of Ukraine.

– Sometimes they come with a bundle containing all their belongings, sometimes they arrive in good cars, with cash – that’s how Mateusz Kramek from the Open Dialogue Foundation describes newcomers addressing ‘Ukrainian World’, in an interview with a Newsweek journalist.