The integration of migrants has become primarily a social challenge requiring thorough debate and a multi-level strategy in which the government, local authorities, and the third sector have clearly defined competences and responsibilities. These are the conclusions of the academic seminar “Integration of migrants in the Pomeranian Province – challenges and prospects,” organized on May 8 by the Emigration Museum in Gdynia together with the Institute of Political Science at the University of Gdańsk, the Migration Policy Analysis Team of the Committee for Migration Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Migration Observatory of the Center for Sustainable Development.
Photo: Anna Wróblewska
The Emigration Museum welcomed representatives of local government, provincial and district employment offices, social welfare centers, cultural institutions, non-governmental organizations, employers, schools, and kindergartens.
“We need a thorough discussion and reflection on immigration issues, which will determine the degree of cohesion of our society in the future. The scale of interest in our event confirms that the Pomeranian Province is currently a leader in integration activities in Poland,” noted Rafał Raczyński, PhD, Coordinator of the Migration Observatory at the Center for Sustainable Development at the University of Gdańsk.
Karolina Grabowicz-Matyjas, Director of the Emigration Museum in Gdynia, welcomed the seminar guests and pointed out that the mass influx of people to Poland and the challenges associated with it further highlight the role that cultural institutions should play in the integration of local communities.
Sylwia Mrozowska, PhD, DSc, professor at the University of Gdańsk and director of CZRUG, also gave an introductory speech. “We must prepare ourselves to manage migration. This is the greatest challenge we face,” she emphasized.
Main topics:
- Bartłomiej Potocki, Director of the Department of Social Integration at the Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Policy, spoke about the roles and cooperation between the government, local government, and civil society in the process of creating and implementing an integration strategy.
- Agnieszka Zabłocka, Director of the Marshal’s Office Department, presented the regional dimension of migration policy in the Pomeranian Province.
- Michał Nowosielski, PhD, DSc, professor at WSB Merito and the Center for Research on Migration, Integration, and Humanitarian Aid at WSB Merito University in Gdańsk, spoke about the need for local migration policies and the challenges facing cities in terms of integration.
- Today’s language teaching for people with migration experience is not limited to learning grammar and vocabulary. As emphasized by Prof. Przemysław E. Gębal from the CZRUG Migration Observatory, it is an academic discipline that develops the cultural, social, and emotional competences of learners.
The speakers also took part in a panel discussion entitled “How to shape a comprehensive integration policy?”, moderated by Rafał Raczyński, PhD, and Kamila Kowalska, PhD (CZRUG Migration Observatory).
We are also pleased to announce that during the event, Rafał Raczyński, PhD, was awarded the Irena and Franciszek Skowyra Scientific Award for outstanding achievements in research on the history and present of the Polish diaspora around the world. The award was presented by Sławomir Zych, PhD, DsC, Director of the Center for Research on the Polish Diaspora and Polish Catholic Ministry at the Catholic University of Lublin.