The project “Support for the integration of foreigners in Mazovia with particular emphasis on the needs resulting from the mass influx of third-country nationals caused by the war in Ukraine” is being implemented in partnership between the Mazovian Voivodeship Office (MUW) and the Foundation for Somalia (FDS) and the Foreign Languages Foundation Lingaue Mundi (FLM), which have been providing specialist support services to foreigners for years. As part of the project, MUW will create a newly accessible place for providing services, making the building available to the partner for a consultation point run by the Foundation for Somalia. FLM will provide opportunities for foreigners using advisory services to learn Polish.
As part of Component 1, MUW plans to introduce further qualitative changes in the reception and service of third-country nationals and consistently increase the capacity to support integration and legal migration. The activities have been planned in such a way that they not only continue or strengthen the results resulting from previous projects, such as increasing the number of foreigner service stations and improving the quality of service in terms of technology and communication skills, but also increase the capacity in terms of OPT service efficiency and security through activities such as purchasing server overlays and improving the functioning inPOL system, which results in better information for foreigners and more efficient conduct of proceedings. The main benefit of the project is focusing the process on users, who are citizens of Ukraine and third countries, fleeing to Poland from military operations in Ukraine and other third country citizens conducting their affairs in the office.
As part of the activities planned under Component 2, FDS will run two consultation and information points providing individual integration, legal, professional, psychological advice, as well as in the field of conducting business activity and tax matters. A significant part of the support will be provided by trained integration advisors – foreigners. In addition, a series of integration and intercultural events will be organized, where foreigners can present their culture, meet other foreigners and get to know Poles and become familiar with Polish culture. The adaptation and language courses planned in Component 3 will increase the integration potential by teaching Polish and increasing awareness of functioning in a new country, rights and obligations. As part of the activities in Component 4, the Foundation will provide a compendium of knowledge and practical skills for running your own business and activation on the labor market, offering individual counseling to complement the planned activities.
Component 5 of the project, implemented by FLM, consists of activities and resources aimed at educating young people and adults from foreign groups present in the province/city, language courses for foreigners at various levels (including specialist ones) and activities increasing their competences and legal awareness aimed at facilitating access to the labor market, courses for foreigners on values and laws applicable in Poland. In addition, FLM will organize specialized language training for employees of the Mazovian Voivodeship Office, preceded by a language competence level test, as well as specialized training in multicultural customer service. The activities of the Leader and Partners will be supplemented by information, promotional and coordination activities in the field of solutions to address integration challenges and the availability of services related to the arrival of a large number of foreigners after February 23, 2022, in particular those of Ukrainian origin.
