A family from Afghanistan with two small children, after appearing for the second time in recent days at the border crossing in Terespol (Lublin Province), was allowed to enter Poland. The procedure for accepting an application for international protection in our country has begun. The family was taken to an open center for foreigners.
– They contacted me from the center. They say they feel good and everything is fine – says Małgorzata Rycharska from the Hope&Humanity Poland initiative (cooperating with the Podlaskie Volunteer Humanitarian Emergency Service, which provides assistance at the border with Belarus).
Yesterday we wrote about a family from Afghanistan with two small children who appeared at the border crossing in Terespol (Lublin Voivodeship) for the second time in recent days. She was here a week ago and – as activists say – she asked for international protection in our country. Border Guard she claimed that the family did not want to stay in Poland but to go to German. So she was sent back to Belarus. The Border Guard informed that this time the family wanted to stay in Poland. So the procedure for accepting an application for protection began.
The family was sent back to Belarus on August 20. However, they were accepted a week later. Hope&Humanity Poland Initiative
They will wait several months for the procedure to be completed.
– The family is currently staying at a reception centre in Biała Podlaska. That is, an open centre for foreigners, from which they will be taken after some time to another open centre, where they will stay longer and which will not be of a “reception” nature, i.e. only temporary – says Małgorzata Rycharska.
He adds that the procedure for obtaining international protection in Poland usually takes several months.
– Sometimes less than half a year, sometimes longer. First, the family waits for a date when they will be interviewed by the Office for Foreigners. The interview is very detailed. It can last up to five hours. Then the office will decide whether to grant the family protection – says the activist.
On August 27, they had these cards with them Hope&Humanity Poland Initiative
In half a year they will be able to start working
It also informs that it is possible to live in the centre until the procedure for obtaining international protection in Poland is completed and for two months longer.
Foreigners, on the other hand, obtain the right to work in Poland – regardless of how long the procedure for obtaining international protection lasts – only after six months from the moment the procedure begins. In this case, yesterday. So they will have to wait.
– While they are staying at the centre, they will receive three meals a day, personal hygiene products and some money for clothes and other needs. Foreigners can also learn Polish at the centre. Medical care is also provided. Of course, if someone arranges their accommodation in a different way, they do not have to stay at the centre. Foreigners often use the help of various foundations or private individuals. In the case of the family in question, there are people who want to support them – says Rycharska.
After five years, they will be able to apply for Polish citizenship.
He emphasizes that foreigners still face many challenges.
– They can acclimatize and strive for independence. However, when it comes to protection, they can get refugee status or receive subsidiary protection. In the first case, they will be able to apply for a so-called Geneva passport. Then you can temporarily travel to countries Schengen Area. With subsidiary protection, they don't have that option. However, after five years, they can apply for Polish citizenship and get a Polish passport – our interviewee points out.
Main image source: Hope&Humanity Poland Initiative