User:Koopnasty

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Immigration in Poland

Poland is considered a homogenous nation. Less than 5% of the population consider themselves ethic minorities; over 85% declare to be roman catholic. Poland has had strict views on immigration and asylum seekers in the last decade. Poland does welcome refugees as long as they are not muslim because of security risk. Poland has little experience with immigration because it is an ethnically and religiously homogenized country. 80% of refugee applications in Poland from 2003 - 2010 were from Chechnya. 73% of applicants were rejected in 2014 out of 2,732. This is still lower than the rates of Hungary, Croatia, Luxembourg, Greece, France, Portugal, and Latvia

Poland defines a national minority as one of non-polish heritage, in terms of language, culture, and tradition, who have been present on Polish soil for over 100 years. They also identify with a nation organized in a another state. Ethnic minorites follow the same requirements but do not have to identify with another state.

Qualifying National Minorities in Poland:

• Belarusian
• Czech
• German
• Lithuanian
• Armenian
• Russian
• Slovak

• Jewish

Qualifying Ethnic Minorities in Poland:

• Ukrainian
• Roma
• Tatar
• Lemkis
• Karaims

History

Pre-refugee crises, Poland held an open immigration and asylum policy. Between 1946 and 1948, 1.5 million people immigrated to Poland. However, almost all of them Polish nationals. The majority of these immigrants were relocated during the war or resettled from pre-war territories annexed by the USSR during ethnic cleansing. Post WWII Poland had a massive outflow of Germans, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. Immigration in this case reduced the county's diversity. During the onset of the Cold War, immigration became nearly impossible. Between 1949 and 1990, Poland reported only 2,000 - 3,000 immigrants annually, mostly Polish nationals or outside married Polish Nationals. Poland's most recent case of accepting asylum seekers was between 1948 and1950 when over 13,000 pro-communist Greeks settled in Poland.

Opposition and Controversy

Today, Poland is known for its opposition of asylum seekers and refugees from multiple nations for fear of radical islamists among other perceptions. Modern Polish views on refugees include:

• 66% of respondents think Poland can't afford migrants

• 25% think immigrants do not benefit society

• 60% believe new immigrants pose terrorist threat
• 69% of Poles do not want non-white people living in the country.
• 75% of polish are against accepting immigrants from Africa and the middle east.

• 39% think culture and lifestyle of African immigrants is of less value than European immigrants into Poland

In 2015, Poland stood against the European Union's (EU) resettlement of 40,000 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece along with an additional 20,000 from outside of Europe. Poland was assigned to receive 3,600 settlers based on their Population and GDP. In 2014, Poland took 0.21 asylum seekers per 1,000 Polish citizens. In 2014, head of office for immigration granted 732 foreigners,115 of which were Syrian, and refused entry to 2,000 people. 4 million were forced that same year from Syria to escape civil war. Poland pledged to accept only 100 Syrian refugees between 2016 and 2020.

Political response

Mayor of Gdansk, Adamowicz, received hate mail for his pro-stance on the 6,000 asylum seekers for relocation from Greece and Italy. He has begun the Global Impact on Refugees initiative. In 2015, Poland pledged to resettle 900 refugees from Lebanon and Jordan. Interior Minister of Poland, Mariusz Błaszczak, spoke against muslim immigration in Europe referencing the Barcelona Attacks. With hopes of putting Polish security first, he claimed Warsaw will not fall to EU immigration pressures after stating Muslim communities are a supporting location for Islamic terrorists. He goes on to say "accepting migrants is a tragedy for Europe".

In 2015, more pressure came from the EU to relocate 160,000 refugees among the EU member countries. De facto leader of the ruling law and justice party, Jarosław Kaczyński, warned in 2015 that migrants carry "all sorts of parasites and protozoa" and that "Poland would have to completely change our culture and lower the level of safety." Interior minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, said EU pressure is a straight road to social catastrophe, Warsaw would look like Brussels. Roman catholic church hierarchy has created uncomfortable tensions as it differs greatly from pro-refugee position of Pope Francis. Polish bishops have called on the country to help the refugees. Chief of Prime Minister's cabinet office, Elżbieta Witek, says "Polish government will not change its mind about the refugees. It's a final decision."

Demographics

The highest group of ethnic immigrants in Poland are Ukrainians. Last year 18,500 illegals were detained for stay, 2,600 were from working permits. As of July 2017 the population of Poland was 38,476,269. Ethnic groups can be divided as Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, and other/unspecified 1.7%.

Status Of Ukrainians in Poland (2014)

Status	people		Reasons for stay	people
Permanent Residence	20,252		Family	2,726
Long-term EU residence	2,796		Education	3,798
Temporary Stay	42,451		Work	8,307
Asylum	-		Other	2,227
Refugee	2		Total	17,108
Subsidiary	35
Humanitarian	202
Tolerated Stay	3
Total	65,866

*in 2015, there were 211,869 foreigners with valid documents, 65,866 of which were Ukrainian.

Documents for Foreigners (2016)

	Total	Ukrainian
Foreigners with valid documents	266,218	103,457
Work permits	127,394	106,223
Employer statements for Job offer	127,394	106,223
Employer statements for foreigners	1.8 mil	1.7 mill

*in 2017, there were 235,626 issued, 192,547 of which were Ukrainian.

Integration

In 2014, 27% of first-instance asylum claims and 1% of final decisions cleared in favor. in 2013, 38% of refugees were welfare recipients and the average for Polish citizens is 18%. As immigration policies become stricter as they change in Poland. On January 1st, 2018, employers registering nationals of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, or Ukraine for 6 months within a calendar year, have "special permission" exemptions from a work permit. This along with increased processing times have increased the difficulty of non-catholic religions to enter Poland. Asylum seekers are often housed in open reception centers, private locations of choice, guarded centers, or detention centers. Associated with regions of lower rental costs, former military bases are used in Eastern Poland (Lublin, Biasystok and Lomza) usually in high poverty areas with correlated with low minority acceptance. If refugees are rejected, then they tend to build ghettoes furthering the isolation and separation process.

Africans aren only employed if they have a rare skill that is competitive on the market, or doing dirty jobs. Cameeroians often work as dish washers in cheap bars in Warsaw. It is also known that refugees flock to cities that are inherently multicultural. Integration of foreigners is defined by Poland as their ability to thrive without welfare. Poland's poverty rate is 18%; the rates in cities with housing centers for immigrants such as Lublin, the rate rises to 31%. In 2011, over half of all refugees stayed in open reception centers.

Muslim integration

Lipka Tatars, a small muslim community known historically for loyalty, have successfully integrated into the central European Polish society. They first arrived six centuries ago. The Muslim Lipka soldiers received land in 1679 by royal decree from King Jan III Sobieski for their assistance in the war. This is a prime example of how the religion of another culture can peacefully cohabit-ate with the Polish, especially for those of Muslim countries. The risk however, is that small communities may assimilate too much with the host country, threatening the culture and religion of the small communities through a shrinking population. For example, Muslims were obliged to pray for the wellbeing of the Republic and the President Poland according to regulations established in 1936. After rectification from the Muslim Religious Association (MRA) in 2004. The MRA was founded in Poland in 1926 and has had legal position since 1936.