Migration Processes in Central and Eastern Europe - Multiple Choices

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Refugees in Central and Eastern Europe
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62
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“Migrants'
Contributions Will
Depend on the
Conditions We
Provide for
Them…”
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Alice Szczepaniková
Interview with Vladislav Günter, Centre
for Integration of Foreigners (CIC),
Prague, 10 January 2006
Alice Szczepaniková: In your presentation at the
workshop, you talked a lot about modes of
communication and miscommunication among
Czech non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
working in the field of refugee issues and its
negative impacts on the quality of assistance
provided to refugees. Could you summarise your
main observations here?
and they are the most vulnerable ones: the refugees. To be
sure, I am not saying there is no communication or cooperation
at all. I am just saying that there are too many troubles
and too many barriers for really effective work and help for
refugees. It is necessary not only to speak about it but to
solve it as soon as possible. On a more concrete level, I do
not think that the situation when two NGOs working with
one client do not contact each other and do not even try
to coordinate their activities is something to be proud of.
And this is not some unique example, it happens far too
often – even between partners in one project.
A.S.: Do you think that this situation is peculiar
to the Czech Republic, and if yes – why? Or is it
something common also in other Central
European countries?
V.G.: I must say I am not so well informed about relationships
among NGOs in Germany, UK, or anywhere else. But
on the other hand, I have never heard from NGO representatives
from the “old member states” of the EU reporting
that they have had such problems or that they consider
them as fundamental ones. But of course, this may be just
an illusion. In my opinion, this situation in the Czech
Republic is also caused by a very recent past which could
be easily called “a fight for resources”, when the state does
not support NGOs at all or if so then very poorly. This
period created some strong personalities who had abilities,
connections or simple luck to keep up “their” organisations
"against all adversity" from other NGOs, the state, donors,
etc. and now it is quite hard for them to accept a new
situation, new rules of communication, work, and cooperation.
However, I am aware that some kind of competition
will always be there and, to a certain extent, it can even be
considered healthy.
Vladislav Günter: I would say that one of the main
problems is that social services 'quality standards' in this
sphere are still missing. There are five or six “central” NGOs
– occasionally proudly calling themselves "the main ones",
then some regional branches of Caritas, small associations,
NGOs working – for example – with victims of trafficking,
International Organization for Migration (IOM), etc.
Sometimes they are cooperating, sometimes they are not,
but almost always (with certain and few exceptions, so I do
apologise to them) without any idea about methods of
social work and rules of communication. Sometimes it is
also a question of poor control mechanisms practiced by
donors, whether private or governmental. Another – but
dominant – reason for miscommunication is simple jealousy
and excessive competitiveness among Czech NGOs operating
in the sphere of what I call “refubusiness”. Sometimes it
seems like a farce, but unfortunately, there are victims of it
A.S.: You also suggested that there should be
a clearly defined division of responsibilities
among the state institutions and NGOs in relation
to the integration of foreigners. How would
you define this division, or who, in your view,
should do what?
V.G.: This relates to what I have said before, and also to
another question: which way do we want to proceed? In
other words what do we see as the desirable results from
our integration policy? I can say a lot has been done during
the last few years. For example, the new Governmental
Concept of Integration of Foreigners in 2006 looks much
better than the previous one. However, we can see a lot of
confusion, especially on the regional level. NGOs often are
not very happy with some activities of the state bodies in
particular, and with the way the integration process looks
Migration Processes in Central and Eastern Europe: Unpacking the Diversity