On 20 January 2023, the first meeting of the Task Force for Regional Migration Policy in 2023 was held.
The meeting was opened by the Chair of the Task Force – Member of the Board of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Ms Agnieszka Kapała-Sokalska.
The agenda focused both on a summary of the actions undertaken so far in support of Ukraine by the Marshal’s Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship (SWP) and by the organisations and institutions represented by the members of the Task Force, as well as on planned activities in the field of regional migration policy for the upcoming financial perspective 2021–2027.
The situation in the Pomeranian Voivodeship and the actions of the SWP in the context of support for Ukraine were presented in detail by Ms Agnieszka Zabłocka, Deputy Director of the Regional Centre for Social Policy of the Marshal’s Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship (ROPS UMWP).
The next part of the meeting was devoted to European Funds from both the previous and the current financial perspectives. Project implementers (i.e. the Regional Centre for Social Policy UMWP, the Department of Health UMWP, and the Department of Education and Sport UMWP) under Priority Axis 14 – Immigrant Integration – of the Regional Operational Programme of the Pomeranian Voivodeship 2014–2020 presented the scope of their project activities.
Subsequently, Mr Marcin Fuchs, Director of the European Social Fund Department of the UMWP, introduced the participants to the provisions of the programme European Funds for Pomerania 2021–2027.
In addition, Ms Marta Zatorska, Head of the Migration Policy and Social Integration Unit at ROPS, discussed the assumptions and plans for the upcoming quarter in connection with the participation of the Pomeranian Voivodeship in the project “EU-BELONG: An Intercultural Approach to Migrant Integration in European Regions.”
The meeting was also attended by guests: Mr Artur Brzozowski, Coordinator of the Community Centre in Gdańsk (Громадський центр у Гданську) run by the LWF Poland Foundation, and Mr Yurii Zabiiaka, a representative of the previous term of the Gdańsk Immigrants’ Council, as well as representatives of Invest in Pomerania. They presented the scope and offer of their activities aimed at supporting foreign nationals residing in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The President of the Immigrants Support Centre spoke about the next edition of the financial support programme of the Biedronka Foundation, as well as about current activities and challenges related to the integration of immigrants in Pomerania.
The next meeting of the Task Force is planned for 20 February 2023.
