Following her recent visit to Poland, the primary destination for millions of people fleeing Ukraine since the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, Leyla Kayacik presented her report to the Committee of Ministers.
She commended the generosity shown by the Polish people, civil society organisations, local and national government institutions to the refugees, the majority of whom – almost 95%- are women, children and the elderly.
Her report gives an overview of the situation at the time of the visit, however, Leyla Kayacik emphasised that the recommendations address also medium and long-term needs.
Among these needs, housing, access to labour market, education, as well as linguistic integration and inclusion of both adults and children remain high on the agenda. In addition, training on Council of Europe standards relevant to the human rights protection, including against violence and abuse of the most vulnerable also continues to be among the priorities. Finally, the Council of Europe can also bring in expertise to support stakeholders providing psychological or trauma assistance to both children and adults.
This report identifies areas where the Council of Europe could assist Poland in dealing with existing challenges in the framework of the Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025).
The Special Representative has already taken steps in following up the recommendations in the report. She works closely with the Polish authorities and partners, as well as with international organisations to provide meaningful support on behalf of the Council of Europe.
Press release
SRSG on Migration and Refugees publishes fact-finding mission report on Poland
