Between 1400 and 2120 refugees in Poland are homeless says a report by the Institute of Public Affairs.
The research carried out by the Institute says that among the main causes of homelessness are housing difficulties (small numbers of communal or council homes, including housing for bigger families), economic insufficiency of refugees (i.e. inability to earn enough money to rent and maintain a home) and the reluctance of homeowners to rent out to foreigners.
According to the Institute, refugees arriving in Poland start out homeless and are quartered in low-standard housing.
The longer they remain in these conditions, the more difficulty they have in changing their standards of living.
Particularly vulnerable are families with many children or single mothers, who cannot find work until the child reaches school-going age.
The year-long integration programme is not able to teach refugees the Polish language or furnish with the ability to function in Polish society and when it ends, migrants lose the right to financial support.
Most then turn for help to various forms of social assistance or NGOs. Some are able to leave Poland for Western Europe or even go back to their place of origin. (ek)