WELDI baseline report

SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Reception of refugees from Ukraine has been mastered well and
skills of actors in the city administration and civil society to deal
with sudden inflows of migrants have improved.
A high labour-market participation of refugees from Ukraine
demonstrates the integrative capacity of the local economy.
The growing number of foreign university students strengthens
normalisation of diversity in the city and can potentially improve
the city’s demographic and economic future.
Local authorities like Sosnowiec have stood their ground against
the national government’s anti-immigration rhetoric.
Little experience in working with migrants.
Low level of cooperation among local stakeholders.
Local institutions/organisations do not recognize the need to
work with migrants now that initial reception of Ukrainians has
been mastered.
There is a lack of data about migrants.
There is a lack of financial resources for integration support.
City of services, production and logistics, where migrants can
find employment easily with low demands of Polish language and
professional skills.
Population shrinkage and ageing may lead to a better understanding
of the necessity to attract new residents.
The recent change of national government can improve multi-level
governance.
The solutions that have been found to address the newcomers’
most urgent needs (e.g. in housing, education, work) might not be
sufficient in the long term.
Funding for many integration programmes (language, professional
training, socio-cultural activities, psychological support) is
precarious or running out.
Local policy context
Local strategies
The previous cultural homogeneity in Sosnowiec can create fears
about migrants, which were reinforced by the dehumanising
narrative of the previous national government and some media.
Attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees might change from sympathy
to antagonism.
Exploitation of migrants and exclusion from key resources might
cause disintegration.
With its 2023 City Council Resolution Sosnowiec brands itself as the City of Equality
and Respect for Diversity. The resolution condemns all forms of discrimination on
the grounds of sex, race, nationality, religion, ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation
and undertakes to respect and promote human rights and to build a tolerant
and inclusive society.
Distribution of competencies and funding
Central government is in charge of the reception of asylum seekers and temporarily
displaced persons. There is no formal mandate for cities in migrant integration, but
cities have provided support to Ukrainian refugees with partial funding from the
central government (e.g. a subsidy for Polish households hosting refugees of about
8€ per person and day.
The national programme of the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)
does not reach local authorities. There is no strategic link between ESF+ projects
and the city’s reception and integration strategy.
Good practice and elements to share
Psychological support for traumatised children from Ukraine
The NGO “The power of support” provides psychological support for refugee children
from Ukraine in Sosnowiec and other local authorities in Poland, with support
from UNHCR.
Their philosophy is to provide psychological “first aid” to help children in overcoming
trauma and restore their agency and a lifeline that was broken through the
war, in individual and group sessions and with activities.
WELDI - Baseline report
Sosnowiec, PL
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