An uneasy reality: Donor support for IDPs in Ukraine Łukasz Wenerski, Andriy Korniychuk, Oleksandr Kliuzhev (cooperation)

According to international organizations, since the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in Donbas, internal migrations might have affected from two to three million people. From Crimea and Donbas alone, 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens had to change their place of residence. Concerns that these internally displaced persons (IDPs) will become “Ukraine’s lost generation” have been voiced. A considerable number of Ukrainian citizens affected by the war in eastern Ukraine have started to look for either international protection on the territory of the EU or possible ways to pursue economic migration. Taking into account the unresolved refugee crisis in Europe, the international community has a particular interest in making sure the situation in Ukraine does not get out of hand. In this regard, the effectiveness of the assistance to the Ukrainian state and its civil society provided by international donors is of paramount importance. Whereas the migration crisis has revealed new challenges faced by the Ukrainian state as it is undergoing the process of reform, it has also contributed to an increase in the public activity of Ukrainian citizens. Some of the most active IDPs have managed to find their place in the new reality (within the country or outside Ukraine), however, many have failed to cope with the displacement and are still struggling with huge economic and social problems. In some places, basic humanitarian aid is still required, yet IDPs today generally face other problems, most frequently difficulties in finding a job and the lack of proper housing. There are several reasons for IDPs’ critical situation on the labor market: the unfavorable condition of the Ukrainian economy, skills that do not fit the Ukrainian economy (a consequence of the fact that Donbas was dominated by heavy industry and the mining industry, in particular), and sometimes the inactivity of the displaced people themselves (an effect of living many years under non- democratic rule in the region). This paper aims at analyzing the socio-economic reality of IDPs in Ukraine as well as the state’s response to their challenges from the perspective of the IDP community. In addition, it presents how Ukrainian NGOs assess donor support for IDPs and what Ukrainian civil society expects from the international community in those areas where assistance is needed most

New Pact for Europe National Report POLAND. EPC Report, November 2017

From the executive summary. Following the 2015 elections, the Polish government has become increasingly disapproving of the current state of the European Union (EU); while EU institutions, most notably the Commission, criticised the PiS government for infringement of the rule of law and other values and principles enshrined in Article 2 of the TEU. The deepening rift between Warsaw and Brussels is accompanied by a deep polarisation of Polish public opinion and elites on many crucial issues regarding the future of Europe. These facts notwithstanding, Polish society strongly supports Poland’s EU membership and the government’s ‘Brussels bashing’ has had limited impact on the general support for integration

Polnische Überlegungen zu Europa

Das Referendum der Bürger Großbritanniens, das über den Austritt des Landes aus der Europäischen Union entschied, werten viele Experten und Entscheidungsträger als unaufschiebbare Aufforderung, Veränderungen im europäischen Integrationsprojekt vorzunehmen. Die größte Herausforderung für Europa besteht darin, eine Antwort auf die Fragen zu finden, wie das bis vor kurzem so erfolgreiche Projekt der europäischen Integration nun in eine multiple Krise geraten ist und wie es wieder herausfindet. Angesichts der enorm gewachsenen Herausforderungen ruft die Mehrheit der rechtskonservativen Politiker und der Europaskeptiker dazu auf, zu den Nationalstaaten, dem Europa der Vaterländer (Charles de Gaulle), zurückzukehren. Ein Teil der Experten ist überzeugt, dass ein Wendepunkt in der Integrationspolitik eingetreten sei, jedoch in dem rechtlich-institutionellen Rahmen der Europäischen Union in der gegenwärtigen Gestalt keine Antworten auf die neuen Herausforderungen gefunden werden können. In dem Beitrag soll die polnische Vision von der Zukunft Europas aktuell vor dem Hintergrund des Sondergipfels der Regierungschefs der Europäischen Union am 16. September 2016 in Bratislava und der Debatte über die Herausforderungen, vor denen die Mitgliedsstaaten stehen, dargelegt werden

Ukrainian graduates of Polish universities. University-to-work transition in the context of self-employment

Celem artykułu jest opisanie wzorów i mechanizmów rozpoczynania aktywności na polskim rynku pracy przez specyficzną grupę imigrantów ukraińskich — absolwentów polskich uczelni zakładających własne firmy. Ukraińcy stanowią najliczniejszą grupę studentów cudzoziemskich w Polsce, przy czym migranci polskiego pochodzenia to malejący odsetek wśród ogółu studentów ukraińskich. Może to wskazywać, że w przypadku Ukraińców migracje edukacyjne do RP ulegają profesjonalizacji, odrywają się od kontekstu etnicznego. Analiza opiera się na danych z badania jakościowego (wywiady pogłębione). W przypadku studentów z Ukrainy, którzy coraz częściej podejmują naukę w Polsce, zbiegają się problemy związane ze statusem studenta (niedostępność prac wymagających posiadania wysokich kwalifikacji, brak szans na awans, ograniczone możliwości podejmowania pracy w pełnym wymiarze czasu) i statusem cudzoziemca (praktyki dyskryminacyjne, niewystarczająca znajomość języka, ograniczone usieciowienie w społeczeństwie przyjmującym). Prace studenckie mają często na celu przezwyciężenie takich trudności adaptacyjnych i stanowią szansę na pogłębienie procesu integracji społecznej, kulturowej i ekonomicznej. Najczęstszą strategią studentów jest łączenie pracy oraz studiów, jednak czasem można też zaobserwować „przeskok” na rynek pracy po ukończeniu edukacji wyższej.The aim of the article is to describe patterns and mechanisms of entering the Polish labour market by a specific group of Ukrainian migrants — graduates of Polish universities who become self-employed. Ukrainians constitute the biggest groups of foreign students at Polish universities, however, the share of Ukrainian students with Polish origins decreases. It may indicate that educational migrations from Ukraine to Poland are professionalising, they are becoming more separated from the ethnic context. The article is based on the results of qualitative research (in-depth interviews). Ukrainian migrants constitute an increasingly numerous group at Polish universities. In their economic activities they may experience problems connected with the student status (unavailability of highly qualified jobs, limited chances of professional advancement, limited opportunities of full-time employment) and problems associated with the status of foreigners (discriminatory practices, weak knowledge of the language, limited participation in the networks of the host society). Student jobs may be an opportunity to overcome such adaptation problems and deepen the social, cultural and economic integration. The most frequent strategy of students is combining work and studies. However, in some cases one can also observe a ‘jump' to the labour market after graduation

New Pact for Europe : national report : Poland

This report is inspired by the discussions of the Polish National Reflection Group enriched by exchanges with National Reflection Groups from Italy and France. It reflects on the "state of the Union" from a national perspective and discusses the main challenges the EU and its members are facing, taking into account both the European and national perspective. Finally, it proposes ideas and recommendations how the EU and its members should react to these main challenges and lays down how the EU and European integration should develop in the years to come. This paper is part of a series of ten national reports. These reports and the debates in the Member States will provide a solid basis for the discussions in the NPE European Reflection Group. The latter will be asked to bring the reflection a step further through in-depth and thorough discussions at the European level. The Advisory Group chaired by Herman Van Rompuy will provide input to this process. All these reflections will lead to a final NPE report analysing the current "state of the Union" and making proposals on how to re-energize the European project in the years to come. It will be published at the end of 2017