What is the total number of refugees in Poland? Is it possible to recruit an asylum seeker? We can get valuable information about refugee rights in Poland from the UN Refugee Agency.

Who is considered a refugee?

A refugee, according to the 1951 Refugee Convention, is a person who has been forced to leave their country due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on ethnicity, faith, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. In Poland (a signatory to the Convention), an individual seeking asylum may be given refugee status or subsidiary protection.

It is necessary to distinguish between the terms "refugee" and "migrant," as the latter means willingly moving to another country, while refugees are forced to leave their countries due to life-threatening circumstances or abuses of human rights.

How many refugees do you think there are in Poland? What are their origins?

Around 5,500 people in Poland have been given refugee status or subsidiary immunity, the majority of whom are from Russia or former Soviet republics. Chechens, Ukrainians, Tajiks, Syrians, and Belarussians are the main ethnic groups.

In Poland, where do they reside?

Refugees have the freedom to choose where they want to live and travel around the world. The majority of them live in Warsaw and surrounding areas, as well as towns and cities like Lublin, Bialystok, Oma, and Uków, where there are (or were) centres for foreigners seeking international security.

What are the rights of refugees in Poland? Is it permissible for them to work?

With the exception of voting rights, foreigners given refugee status in Poland have the same rights as Polish residents. Foreigners given humanitarian aid or a tolerated residency permit are not allowed to obtain a work permit in order to work in Poland; the same rules apply to refugees.

May I employ someone who has an asylum application pending?

Yes, as long as they have a temporary ID card and a certificate from the Director of the Foreigners' Office (it can be obtained by the asylum seeker if they have been waiting for a decision on their status for at least six months). Asylum seekers can now work in Poland with the help of this paper.

What steps do I need to take in order to recruit someone who is a refugee?

You'd do the same thing if you were hiring some other employee. To work in Poland, foreigners who have been given refugee status, humanitarian protection, subsidiary protection, or a tolerated residency permit do not need to obtain a work permit. They have the same employment rights as Poles.

Source: based on a FAQ prepared by The UN Refugee Agency in Poland.

On the website of the Office for Foreigners., you can learn more about refugee rights in Poland.