Poland should be less restrictive in its refugee status rules - this is just one of the main conclusions following an inspection by Poland’s Ombudsman Office to the refugee centres in Radom and Dębak following the Chechen and Georgian train protest last week.
Ombudsman Janusz Kochanowski told Polish Radio that the centres need both renovation and extra financing.
“Our inspection showed that living conditions there were not satisfactory” he said recommending the policy of granting refugee status in Poland be analysed being currently too restrictive.
“As a country we do not have such a policy. We should offer these and other refugees in Poland the possibility to integrate with society so that they can later become citizens of a united Europe,” he said.
Janusz Kochanowski also announced he will look into all the rejected applications for refugee status.
Last Tuesday 158 migrants from Chechnya and Georgia tried to cross Poland’s border with Germany by train. Although they had neither tickets or visas they were going to join a protest rally in Strasbourg to draw attention to poor living conditions of refugees in Poland, how they faced racist attacks and the unreasonable length of time it took Polish authorities to grant asylum and refugee status. (di/pg)