Warsaw
Promoting hospitality in a difficult environment
Key Takeaways
- 1
Despite a hostile national political climate and the absence of a local migration strategy, individual municipal offices are able to address migrant residents’ needs.
What is unique about Warsaw?
Wide range of services for migrants: Despite the lack of any coherent local policy on the arrival of migrants and refugees, Warsaw has a broad range of services for migrants. As the capital and largest city in Poland, Warsaw was the first to experience the diversity connected with migration movements. The presence of a large number of immigrants helped initiate a number of inclusive measures taken by municipal public institutions and social organisations, including those established by migrants themselves.
What is the focus of local migration policies?
Migration Centres jointly run by the city and civil society: In Warsaw, migrants can use their own organisations as platforms to propose and implement their own projects. Warsaw's Multicultural Centre and the Social Dialogue Committee for Foreigners stand out as particularly effective examples of cooperation between the city and civil society. Some of these organisations have been active for years, and have become a permanent feature of Warsaw’s social activities.
What are the key factors?
Civic engagement and the local administration: Together with civil society, individual municipal offices and a number of coordinating institutions are the most important actors in migration policy. The city also funds a number of NGO projects working on migration.
Political activities and advocacy beyond the city level
The Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski (Political Party: Platforma Obywatelska) has signed declarations emphasising the positive contributions of migrants and refugees, and promoting openness. In June of 2018, Warsaw signed the UNHCR Cities #WithRefugees declaration and the declaration by the Union of Polish Metropolises calling for greater cooperation on the issue of migration. In September of 2020, Warsaw issued a statement expressing its willingness to offer shelter to children and families who were victims of the Lesbos refugee camp fire.
Member of the following networks
Download the full city report
The city report contains more information about the city’s migration and inclusion policies and selected local approaches. Report from 2021, updated in 2023.