Transcript Document

Integration of Activities for the
Benefit of Polish Economic
Emigration to Ireland
Warsaw, 24th October 2007
Irena Suchecka
Crosscare Migrant Project
Background
Established in 1942 Catholic Social Welfare
Bureau offered advice & assistance to emigrants
of the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Disbanded in
1982, its emigrant section continued as Emigrant
Welfare Bureau
 In 1987 Emigrant Welfare Bureau became
Emigrant Advice
 In October 2007 Emigrant Advice, still continuing
its work, changes its name to Crosscare Migrant
Project
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Crosscare
12 Projects including:
Migrant Project (Emigrant Advice)
Housing and Welfare Information (Centre Care)
Food Initiatives
Homeless Services
Drugs & Alcohol, Carers, Disability and Youth counselling initiatives
Education, Training & Development
Crosscare Migrant Project (CMP)

CMP is an information and advocacy project based in Dublin
City Centre
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It provides free and confidential service to:
– Irish emigrants
– Returning Irish emigrants
– Immigrants, many of whom are Polish
The common factor for all CMP’s clients is that they
are migrants in vulnerable situations
CMP Statistics
In 2006 CMP worked with:
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411 intending Irish emigrants
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300 returning Irish emigrants
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1207 immigrants (approximately 25%
Polish migrants)
CMP Statistics
Immigration walk-in clients
Crosscare Migrant Project
Immigration walk-in clients statistics
01/07/2006 - 30/06/2006
Total = 1,233
500
400
Numbers

300
200
100
0
Unknown
Irish
EU
Non-EU
Polish
Nationality
Note: these figures represent the amount of clients
by nationality, but do not take into account
multiple visits by the same client
Crosscare Migrant Project
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Offers walk-in, phone, post, e-mail or via website
information service
Runs an advocacy service
Runs outreach service to Islamic Centre
Produces & distributes publications on emigration,
return migration & immigration:
– Thinking of going to… UK, USA, Canada, Australia
– Returning to Ireland
– Living in Ireland in English and Polish (Codzienne Życie w
Irlandii), soon in Chinese & Russian
– Immigration Factsheets
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Provides back-up support to information provision
organisations nationally & internationally by phone,
e-mail and trainings and workshops inputs
Crosscare Migrant Project

Networks
as a member of:
– Integrating Ireland
– NCCRI (National Consultative Committee on
Racism and Interculturalism) Migration Sub Group
– Emigrant Advice Network
with:
– ICI (Immigrant Council of Ireland), MRCI (Migrant
Rights Centre Ireland) and RIS (Refugee
Information Service)

Does social policy work to effect positive
change in migration policy
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Updates its website: www.migrantproject.ie
Crosscare Migrant Project:
Polish services
CMP
 Ran outreach weekly clinics in the Polish Information and
Cultural Centre from April 2005 until September 2006
 Ran workshops on Employment Law and Social Welfare
Services for Polish Social and Cultural Association
 Provided articles, interviews and advertised its services
in Polish media in Ireland (papers, radio, websites)
 Has assisted Polish migrant workers in a variety of issues
in relation to their employment. So far CMP has lodged:
– 71 complaints with Labour Relations Commission – Rights
Commissioner service
– 29 appeals to Employment Appeals Tribunal
– 10 complaints to Equality Tribunal
Most of these complaints were resolved before a formal hearing
Crosscare Migrant Project:
Polish services
CMP
 Actively took part in a Polish Christmas Charity Event
Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy and helped to raise
money
 CMP has worked in co-operation with its sister
organisation Housing and Welfare Information (formerly
Centre Care) on housing, homelessness, social welfare
and related matters.
 Since March 2007 Housing and Welfare Information
started clinics for Polish clients with a help of voluntary
Polish interpreters twice a week (Tuesdays 2pm-5pm,
Fridays 9am-12am)
Crosscare Migrant Project:
Polish services
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Produced Living in Ireland – a Guide for New Residents
(Codzienne Życie w Irlandii – Przewodnik dla
Nowoprzybyłych) – a comprehensive pre- and postdeparture guide for people thinking of coming to live in
Ireland or who have moved to Ireland for the first time.
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In the first place it was translated into Polish and
distributed in Poland and Ireland.
This initiative has triggered co-operation between CMP
and Polish and Irish government and non-government
organisations
Codzienne Życie w Irlandii
Print–runs
 Since the launch on 23rd October 2006
the
publication has been available in a PDF format
at www.emigrantadvice.ie .
 CMP has produced
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–
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10 000 copies of an A-6 size, 250 page Polish
booklets
15 000 copies of Polish information pamphlet
11 000 copies of a promotional poster in
Polish/English language
Codzienne Życie w Irlandii
Distribution in Poland
2 stages:
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4000 booklets, 2000 pamphlets and 500 posters in
November – December 2006
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Re-print: 2500 booklets, 2000 pamphlets, 8000 posters
in March-April 2007
It was distributed to:
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32 Citzens Information Bureaus
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17 Regional Employment Exchange Offices (EURES
advisors)
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43 Catholic Diocese Curias
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Irish Embassy in Warsaw
Codzienne Życie w Irlandii
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Polish-Irish Association
A link to the on-line Polish version of the publication
has been put on the websites of Polish voluntary and
statuory service providers
Distribution in Ireland:
It was distributed to:
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Statutory and voluntary homeless sector organisations
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Citzens Information Centres
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FAS offices
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Social Welfare Offices
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Health Service Executives (Health centres, etc.)
Codzienne Życie w Irlandii
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Polish Chaplaincy and Polish priests in their local parishes
Polish Embassy inDublin
Polish Social and Cultural Associations in Dublin and My
Cork Association
Polish representatives in SIPTU
Polish media
Posters and leaflets were also sent to Polish travel
companies, Polish shops and medical centres in Dublin
The on-line version is available on most Polish websites
operating in Ireland
Codzienne Życie w Irlandii
Publicity
The press release about the publication was sent to most
Polish media in Poland and Ireland.
Articles about it were released in Polish papers in Ireland
including:
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Życie w Irlandii
Evening Herald – Polish Supplement
Polish Express
Gazeta Polska
And in Poland:
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Gazeta Wyborcza
Życie i Praca za Granicą
Codzienne Życie w Irlandii
Evaluation (content, distribution and publicity) in advance
of the compilation of Codzienne Życie w Irlandii 2nd
edition
CMP based the evaluation on responses to a questionnaire
sent to Polish and Irish organisations and Polish
individuals.
Overall , feedback was excellent with organisations keen to
receive copies of the 2nd edition of the publication.
CMP greatly values the feedback given through the
eavaluation. Where possible recommendations have
been accommodated in edition 2.
Codzienne Życie w Irlandii- 2nd
edition
AS CMP’s remit is to work with people in
most vulnerable situations we will
prioritise distribution in the rural
communities of Poland.
We would like to reach these people and we
ask you to help us to do. Please complete
the forms provided.
I would like to thank all organisations and
individuals who helped us in our work ,
especially with Living in Ireland – its
publicity, distribution and evaluation.
 We welcome any organisations willing to
work with Polish communities to have
study visits at our office and other
organisations we co-operate with.
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I invite everybody to come and talk to me in
relation to our publication and have a copy
of the 1st edition of Living in Ireland
Thank you for your attention
Dziękuję Państwu za uwagę
Contact Details
Crosscare Migrant Project
1 Cathedral Street
Dublin 1
Tel: 01 8732844
E-mail:
migrantproject@
crosscare.ie
www.migrantproject.ie