Suggestion for inclusion in the Annual Report

I wanted to become an EVS volunteer to get some practical experience working in an area of which I had some theoretical knowledge.

After university in the UK, I spent some time in Brussels and did internships covering various human rights issues. During one of my internships I was very involved in working against human trafficking, and got interested in migration issues in general: The things people put themselves through, or are tricked into in the attempt to improve their lives.

When I found I could do an EVS project with refugees in Poland, I was thrilled. Poland is an especially interesting country as a new EU member state: I was sure it would be facing new challenges in the area of migration as a result.

When I arrived in Warsaw, I was introduced to two organisations: the Association of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Poland; and Comperio, an intercultural cooperation centre.

The Association of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Poland is an organisation that aims to improve the lives of asylum seekers and refugees in a number of ways. Over the months I have taken part in cultural awareness raising events and consultations: theatre performances; photo exhibitions; international conferences and meetings with other NGOs and government offices working with refugee issues. I have also contributed to the association’s newsmagazine ‘Voice of Exile’, and written letters and press releases about individual cases or racist events.

Comperio is an intercultural cooperation centre, which provides intercultural training. My role in this organisation has mainly to prepare and run English language lessons to Russian-speaking asylum seekers and refugees who wish to gain an additional skill.

As well as offering them a chance to learn some English, I hope my classes also give the people who attend an opportunity to get out of the camps and in contact with other people. They engage in something they see may help them in their future, and also come into contact with me, someone from a different culture. I have been helped in this role by the well-stocked British Council Library and the primary school in which we hold the lessons. The school is very open to cooperation and has a number of refugee children as pupils.

The vast majority of asylum seekers in Poland come from Chechnya and other regions of the Russian Federation. Poland is the first country they come to when trying to enter the EU, and due to an agreement drawn up by the member states, once they have applied for asylum here, they are not allowed to apply in another country. So, if individuals leave Poland and are found in another country, where conditions for asylum seekers are more generous for example, they are sent back to Poland. I have met many young Chechens who have been returned from other countries, endured a short spell in prison as a result and then been given a so-called ‘tolerated stay’ document which allows them to stay in the country but gives them no financial or other support.

As well as those from Chechnya, I have met asylum seekers and refugees from all over the world. It is fascinating, but usually heartbreakingly sad to hear their stories.

The refugee camps are very basic and overpopulated, families can wait years for a decision and if they get a positive one, little is offered in terms of integration or support to establish them in their new lives. It is little surprise that many disappear somewhere along the process, searching for a better life in other countries.

The problems, as I see them, are that the structures in place for dealing with the refugee situation are out of date. They haven’t been modified to deal with the new higher numbers of asylum seekers arriving in Poland, and the NGOs are struggling to fill the gaps. Civil society in general is much weaker than in EU countries further west, and much of the time is spent looking for funding, rather than concentrating on the aims and objectives of the organisations. This is my experience with my two organisations anyway.

My time in Warsaw hasn’t always been easy, and both organisations have faced considerable challenges, which have affected my work in various ways, but I don’t regret a moment of my time in Poland.

I have found learning Polish a challenge, but it’s a fascinating language and I’ve enjoyed experiencing my progress from those first days when I didn’t understand a word, to now when I can make myself understood in most (basic) situations. I got such a sense of achievement the first time somebody asked me for directions in the street and I was able to answer!

I have also loved travelling around Poland and seeing the differences between the regions. From the clear lakes and thick forests of Mazury, to the impressive mountains and stunning views in the South, to the popular beaches and ports on the North coast, to the cute villages and towns along the Vistula, to the eclectic points of interest in Warsaw… I never suspected Poland was such a varied and interesting country!

Throughout my project, I have kept an online weblog (www.beccasteel.blogspot.com) of my activities and those of the organisations with which I work. Take a look!