This report looks at post-2014 migrants’ access to housing, employment, and other relevant resources in different small and medium-sized towns and rural areas in Poland.
Primarily based on interviews conducted in six selected municipalities, it provides an overview of:
1) the concrete barriers that post-2014 migrants are facing in relation to housing and employment;
2) the local actors who are involved in, and/or seen as responsible for, facilitating their access;
3) any concrete local measures or practices that help or hinder this access;
4) the specific target groups of these measures, initiatives or practices.
The report finds that the main actors in the employment are temp agencies, recruitment agencies and private employers. In localities 2 and 4, where factories are the main hubs of employment housing can be arranged by the employer, however, for localities 1 and 3 private owners, play the biggest role. Social housing and services are rarely accessed by labour migrants, they are solely distributed for 12 months to individuals with refugee status or granted humanitarian protection. Other social services are less popular among migrants with the 500+ program being a financial assistance for children, which is widespread across the country and usually used by migrant families too. Municipalities endeavour to assist with cheap housing, however, the lack of a national housing policy hinders the efforts.
Authors: Patrycja Matusz and Eirini Aivaliotou
