Recognizing human value

Agnieszka Barteczko: What benefits do refugees bring to a country?

Hiromitsu Mori: Albert Einstein was a refugee, as well as Madelaine Albright. Adam Mickiewicz, the Polish poet, was a refugee. Surely not all refugees have such extraordinary talents - but all have some skills that they bring along. Some are journalists, some teachers, there are engineers, doctors, nurses and artists. To contribute to Poland they only need a chance to do this. In practice - a chance to work.

Do you hear of many instances of refugees being discriminated against in Poland's labor market?

Many refugees find it difficult to find jobs or accommodation, or to place a child at a local school. It will have a negative impact not only on themselves, but also on Polish society. Poland really does not need more homeless, jobless, uneducated people. It needs more workers - and with the growing emigration of Poles, demand for workers will be more and more visible. Talking about integration, one has to remember that it is a two-way process. It does require efforts of the host society, as well as the efforts of refugees and immigrants. Poland has a very young refugee population - half of the refugees are children. Can you imagine systematically depriving hundreds of Polish children of education? Or parents simply not sending kids to school? This happens to the children of asylum seekers.

In what areas could Poland's immigration policy be most improved?

What is missing is a national, multifaceted plan of integration of foreigners in Poland. Academics in Western European countries claim that current social problems, such as growing intolerance and xenophobia, are a direct result of the lack of such plans in the past.

Which country's example might Poland follow in its immigration policy?

Creating policy is not a 'copy and paste' exercise. It requires deep analysis of the local situation. One aspect that should definitely be taken as a model is commitment to equality of people and respect for the human value of refugees. There is an American city called Utica, which exists because it accepts refugees. Without recognizing their value as workers, customers, tenants and artists, Utica would be a ghost town.