1. Case-study No. & Title:
No. 199. The Gmina Centrum: support and shelter for Polish pepatriates from the former Soviet Union (1996- ), Warsaw, Poland

Keywords:

2. Author information:
2.1 Author’s Name
Joanna Wawrzyniak

2.2 Institutional Affiliation and Contact Details:
Institute of Sociology (Phd student)
Warsaw University
contact address:
ul. Sierpecka 6/32
01-593 Warsaw

E-mail: kochanowiczjoanna@poczta.wp.pl

2.3 Date recorded
26/10/2000

3. Good Practice Information Sheet
3.1 Local Level Good Practice:
The practice consists of the local authorities inviting citizens of the former USSR of Polish origin to come to Poland and faciliating their accommodation (by providing flats, funds, helping in completing necessary documentation, and finding jobs). The main goal of the policy is to provide help to those people who themselves, or whose family members, were repressed under the communist regime and were deported to the USSR against their will (1939-1956). The stress is put on solidarity with those who were forced to abandon their national, cultural, and country affiliation, living for years under the conditions dramatically different from the conditions of their ethnic country. Given these differences, despite common ethnic grounds with the national majority, repatriated persons’ difficulties in integrating would be much greater without direct and extensive help from the local government. Moreover, taking into account the present parliamentary act on foreign citizens, some of the repatriated individuals would have never been given the possibility to gain Polish citizenship but for the help from the local authorities. So far twenty families have been invited. The practice is expected to be continued and developed with the goal of inviting up to ten families per year.

3.2 Location:
The policy described here is the initative of Gmina Centrum - one of Warsaw’s municipal self-governments. All repatriated individuals invited by the local authorities are sheltered in various places within the administrative area of Gmina Centrum, in municpality-owned buildings.

3.3 Minority/Target Groups:
Minority: Repatriated Poles, mostly from Kazakhstan;
Target Group: repatriated individuals given shelter by Gmina Centrum in Warsaw.

3.4 Major Actors Involved

3.5 Budget allocated by local government authorities and/or by other actors
The budget of the program changes each year as it depends on Local Councils’ annual decision-making. In the year 2000, 400,000 PLN from the local government budget were allocated to the program, but not all of the funds were used.
Since 1999 funds needed for one family are counted in the following equations (according to a resolution by the local authorities):

3.6 Timeframe
The initiative was first proposed in 1996, and in that year the first family was invited. Next year, after the parliamentary bill on foreign citizens was enacted, the Local Council decided to extend the program to up to 10 families per year. The practice is expected to continue, however most probably limiting itself to Poles from Kazakhstan. There is no upper time limit.

3.7 Local level good practice relation to national level ethnic policy
The most important national-level legislation concerning potential repatriation is a parliamentary act on foreign citizens (1997). The act states that a foreign country’s citizen of Polish origin is eligible for Polish citizenship, if a person has accommodation and funds for living provided (article 109). The act encourages local self-governments to invite potential candidates for repatriation (article 10, sec. 4), but does not oblige them to do it. Thus, the decision of inviting and sheltering the repatriated individuals, while fulfilling the requirements of national legislation, is a local-level initiative, in the sense that local authorities launch the practice and bear the highest proportion of related expenses. A new parliamentary act on repatriation, which is still being discussed in Parliament, is expected to come into force in January 2001. According to the new law the financial help of the national government will be much extended.

4. Good Practice Description
4.1 Background of the local program
A proper explanation of the relevant local policy governing the repatriation of Poles from the former Soviet Union’s countries requires short descriptions of both the history of the individuals in question and their situation under the present Polish legislation.

Thousands of Poles were sent against their will to the USSR in 1939-1956, often being subjected to repression. The largest Polish community was settled in Kazakhstan. Some of the deportees managed to return during the communist regime, after 1956. Many others did not have this opportunity. Thus, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation of the deportees became the question of an open public debate, involving media, government bodies, and various NGOs. At the same time, the deportees became active in making efforts to return to their ethnic country, often with help of their relatives in Poland or Wspolnota Polska [Polish Community], a NGO whose main concern are Poles living abroad. Because until 1997 the national level legislation was not clear about the status of potential candidates for repatriation, their return was sometimes spontaneous, and not backed by necessary legal arrangements. Until now some of those who have managed to return have not gained full Polish citizenship.

In addition to legal problems, the repatriated individuals have often experienced difficulties in integrating into Polish society. Their return involves changes in social, political, cultural, economic (in fact, the material situation of the former deportees was often one of the important reasons for migration), and even climatic living conditions. Also the personal situation of the repatriated individuals changes, as they often begin a new life far removed from their relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Therefore, the process of integrating with new reality is not always easy, especially as some of them experience difficulties in finding a job relevant to their skills (this is mostly the problem of the former employees of kolkhozes), or have language problems (e.g. it happens that family members who returned along with the former deportees are not of Polish origin).

Moreover, the attitude of local communities toward the repatriated individuals is not always favourable. Although the media usually report friendly behaviour on the part of the Polish society (help in accommodation, involvement in local activities, etc.), the results of sociological surveys also point out hostile attitudes (for instance labelling the new-comers as Ruskie, a pejorative designation for Russians). Therefore, in spite of the fact that in ethnic terms the repatriated individuals belong to national majority, they are very different from this majority according to various criteria. Given these differences, the communities of repatriated individuals constitute a serious challenge for public institutions. This is particularly so since, according to various estimations, there are between 60 and 100,000 Poles in Kazakhstan who have recently expressed a wish to return to Poland.

As far as the relevant national legislation is concerned, in 1997 a new act on foreign citizens was put in practice, which to some extend regulates the repatriated individuals’ legal status. According to the law, the repatriated individuals are eligible to apply for Polish citizenship. However, the law restricts this possibility to various conditions, such as having accommodation and funds for living provided, frequently a difficult requirement for people who often live in very difficult material conditions. However, the law allows public bodies and institutions to act as inviters of potential candidates for repatriation. After the invitation from the institution, together with other necessary documentation, is presented and positively accepted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the former deportees obtain the so-called repatriation visas (the whole ministerial procedure takes from one up to two years). When crossing the Polish border with this kind of visa, they automatically gain Polish citizenship. Despite other legal means of gaining citizenship (for instance directly from the President of Poland, or from the so-called „recognition"), the law on foreign citizens is the most recognized among the former deportees.

After the law was put in practice, local self-governments started to act as inviters of the former deportees. Apart of offering a formal invitation, they often give other kinds of support, such as necessary funds for cost of living or accommodation. The national legislation does not oblige anyone to invite candidates for repatriation, thus, the number of invitees (as well the level of support offered) is different in various places, because it depends on the decision of local councils. The number of invited families usually varies from none to three. It must be stressed that the decision of inviting the families involves both high economic and logistic effort on the part of the local authorities. The practice is welcomed by the representatives of the government and administration at the national level, partly because it decreases the expenditure from the state budget, and partly because it often helps to regulate the unclear situation of those former deportees who would in any case come or have already come to Poland. However, it must be mentioned that a new parliamentary act on repatriation is currently being discussed in Parliament. According to the new law, financial help from the national government to repatriated individuals will be much extended.

4.2 History of the local program
The policy described here is the initative of Gmina Centrum - one of Warsaw municipal self-governments. Gmina Centrum is the wealthiest Polish self-government, as it is placed in the centre of the capital. Already in 1996, the Local Council decided to offer an invitation to one family from Kazakstan. After the parliamentary act on foreign citizens was put into practice, the Council made a resolution (1997) to broaden the policy to invite up to ten families per year and to faciliate their accommodation within the administrative teritory of Gmina. The resolution stated that a target group consists of those people who "for political or ethnic reasons were repressed and deported by force to the former USSR and are at the moment willing to return to Poland". A special Committee for Repatriation and Sheltering was appointed. Each year funds from the local budget are allocated for the policy. However, this year (2000) no invitation has been given, as there were political perturbations about the legal status of the Local Council (not related to the policy under discussion). Nevertheless, the policy is expected to be continued.

So far the local authorities have formally invited 20 families, and two others conditionally (they will obtain the formal invitation after completing necessary documentation). However, one invitation was withdrawn, because the person invited concealed the fact of also being invited by another self-government. And one of the invitees had died before the repatriation procedure had been finalised in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Already 14 families live within the teritory of Gmina, and 4 are waiting for finalization of the procedure by the Ministry. At the moment there are 87 families who have asked for an invitation on the local authorities’ waiting list.

4.3 Details of the program
Main actors involved in the program

Procedure of obtaining citizenship with help of Gmina Centrum
Information about the possibility of being invited by Gmina Centrum is disseminated among the fomer deportees with help of Wspólnota Polska, and other NGOs or public bodies. It is important to clarify that not all of the potential invitees are at the moment inhabitants of the former USSR. Some of them already live within the teritory of Poland, however without being in possession of Polish citizenship (e.g. students, relatives invited by distant Polish families).

In order to be considered by the Commitee for Repatriation, candidates must submit the following documentation: CV; birth certificate; detailed information on the repression to which an applicant or his/her family was subjected; documents proving the Polish origins, education and profession; and consent of adult family members.

The most important criterion for the Commitee is whether the person or his/her family was repressed under the communist regime. The other criteria include affiliations with their future place of residence (for instance, whether they have already been in Warsaw, had a job, or studied there), and the educational and professional profile of a candidate, as it is important that a person is able to live and assimilate in a big city. Nevertheless, as one of the employees of Gmina Centrum said: "it is not true that Gmina invites only young, healthy, and educated men. The prevailing criterium is repression".

After the application is positively considered by the Commitee, the invitation and documentation is submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The verification procedure takes from one to two years. After it is finalized, the invitees get a repatriation visa and may come to Poland to stay and obtain full Polish citizenship, gaining at the same time all civil and social rights.

Sheltering and supporting offered by Gmina Centrum
The repatriated individuals often receive reimbursement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for part of their journey to Poland. The rest of the funds related to their stay is provided by Gmina Centrum. The budget for the program is decided each year during the Local Council’s session (for the costs in the year 2000 see section 3.5). Also, employees of relevant departments of the local administration make all necessary arrangements related to the future accommodation of a repatriated family.

Apartments are provided in municipality-owned bulidings. They are in good condition and equipped with kitchen and bathroom facilities. In addition, they are furnished with essential furniture on a temporary loan basis, such as beds, tables, chairs, or lamps. There is no square meter limit per family, but the flats already given were relatively large by Warsaw standards, for instance a flat of 80 square meters for a familiy with three members.

The repatriated individuals live in different communal buildings in various areas of Gmina. It is partly the case that a family will be placed in an apartment which is vacant at the time, and Gmina has its communal buildings scattered all over its territory, however partly it is a tactical policy of the local authorities. As one the local employees said "it would be unwise to shelter the repatriated individuals in the same place". Placing them in different areas is supposed to faciliate and speed up their assimilation with a local community.

The repatriated families, after their arrival are welcomed at a station by a representative of the local administration (unless it is unnecessary, because they already live in Poland) and are taken to the apartment that is being provided. At the same time, they gain a right to two kinds of material support. First, they get funds for necessary household equipment, provided in three instalments (see section 3.5 for the year 2000 calculations). The practice of giving money instead of equipping the flat is based on the belief that it is better to allow people to choose themselves what they really want and need. A familiy is obliged to show the receipts, before getting a right to the next instalment.

Second, for six months the repatriated families receive funds on a monthly basis for living costs (see section 3.5), unless one of the family members starts working. These funds are worked out as being equivalent to a monthly wage earned by an average Warsaw family. Thus, the repatriated families are obliged to pay all the bills (rent, electricity, gas, etc.) from these funds. If, after a six month period, a family is not able to earn its living, there exists a possibility of prolonging the support program, however only up to 80 percent of the sum hitherto given. At the moment, all families who were so far supposed to have started to earn their living, have done so.

Activities related to the program
Although the above-mentioned shelter and support arrangements are the key to the local program, the employees of the local government often offer other kind of help, not always required by the local regulations. It is not an exaggeration to say that the staff responsible for the repatriated families became personally attached to the policy. Thus, the help offered by them exceeds the bureaucratic requirements.

The staff of the local government provide their assistance with completing necessary documentation (Polish ID card, etc). They have personal relations with each family, and are interested in their well-being. Thanks to the positive relations of the local authorities with the media, some of repatriated individuals also found jobs. After an article was published about the repatriation project, there were phone calls to the authorities from the owners of firms who wanted to hire the individuals concerned.

Also, there exists cooperation between the local government staff and NGOs interested in the repatriated families, which broadens the knowledge of both parties about the needs of the group. NGOs, such as for instance Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej, involve the repatriated families in local activities. An important side-effect of the positive relations of the local authorities with NGOs and the repatriated persons themsleves is that they get extensive information about the situation of Poles still living in the former USSR, which helps to shape future strategies.

4.4 Concluding remarks
The shelter and support program offered by Gmina Centrum in Warsaw is a constructive example of how to deal with the problem of repatriated persons from the former USSR at the local level. The policy is comprehensive. It offers more than satisfying only the basic needs of the people concerned. The whole strategy is built in such a way that it allows for assimilation with the local community.

Main sources of information
Information was collected directly from the local government staff; the parliamentary act on foreign citizens; resolutions of the Local Council; disposition of the President of the City of Warsaw; B.J. Kozłowski. 2000. Repatriacja polskich rodzin z Kazachstanu in: Biuletyn Stowarzyszenia Wspólnota Polska; parliamentary debates accessible through internet: www.sejm.gov.pl