Central
The Ministry of the Interior and Administration is responsible for:
- Immigration and asylum policy;
- Regulation of immigration and prevention of illegal immigration;
- Integration and registration of legal immigrants;
- Granting of identity documents through the network of voivodships.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for foreign cooperation in the field of visa policy and migration policy.
The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy is responsible for:
- Coordinating the integration policy, including housing;
- Legal framework for integration; and
- Financial resources for integration.
The Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców) is responsible for:
- Granting or denying the refugee, international protection or temporary protection status;
- Coordinating the management of the refugee centres;
- Managing a database of records and registers;
- Granting and implementing social assistance for refugees.
The Council for Refugee Affairs hears appeals from and complaints against decisions issued by the Head of the Office for Foreigners.
The Border Guard (a state security agency) is tasked with patrolling the Polish border.
Regional
Regions are responsible for:
- Coordinating the integration of foreigners under the refugee or temporary protection status; and
- Granting residence permits.
- Issuing work permits and permits for temporary and permanent residence;
- Adopting decisions to extend visas.
County authorities are responsible for:
- Social assistance to foreigners under the refugee or temporary protection status.
Local
Local authorities are responsible for:
- Granting and payments of benefits aimed at foreigners;
- Housing of migrants (mainstreamed with general housing policy). Migrants may choose the municipality in which they wish to live, and apply for social housing under municipalities under same conditions as Polish citizens;
- Polish lessons are given in Centres for Refugees and schools as part of the reception process for immigrants.
- Managing units of social assistance, labour offices
Responsible ministries/bodies
The Ministry of the Interior and Administration
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy
The Office for Foreigners
Regional (voivodship) authorities
County (powiat) authorities
Local authorities (gmina)
Sources:
The Council for Refugee Affairs
Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners (Dz.U. 2013 poz. 1650)
Act on Polish citizenship of 2009 (Dz.U. 2012 poz. 161)
Act on promotion of employment and labour market institutions of 2004 (Dz.U. 2004 nr 99 poz. 1001)
Act on repatriation of 2000 (Dz.U. 2000 nr 106 poz. 1118)
Act of 28 July 2011 on legalisation of stay of some foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland and on amendments to the Act on granting protection to foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland and to the Act on Foreigners (Dz.U. 2011 nr 191 poz. 1133)
Asylum Information Database, 2015, Country Report, Poland, November 2015
European Commission, Country Fact Sheet, Poland
European Migration Network, 2014, Ad-Hoc Query on Immigrant Integration Plans
European Migration Network, 2012, Poland, Annual Policy report 2012
Ignacy Jóźwiak 2014, The Politics of Mainstreaming, Immigrant Integration Policies: Case study of Poland, Academia
Migrant Integration Policy Index, , PolandPoland, 2014
Migration Online 2013, An Overview of the migration policies and trends in Poland, Migration Online
Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal
OFF, Handbooks for Foreigners 2016
Ordinance of the Council of Ministers on types of Polish language and orientation courses and the way of their organisation for repatriates and members of their closest families coming to the Republic of Poland of 2002 (Dz.U. 2002 nr 67 poz. 613)
Polish Office for Foreigners
Law of 12 March 2004 on Social Assistance [Ustawa z dnia 12 marca 2004 r. o pomocy społecznej] (Dz.U. 2004 nr 64 poz. 593)
Ustawa z dnia 13 czerwca 2003 r. o udzielaniu cudzoziemcom ochrony na terytorium Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Dz.U. 2003 nr 128 poz. 1176)
