27th October 2022
Last week, Susie France, Head of Choose Love Collective Fund at Prism, travelled to Poland with the Choose Love team. Susie has shared her first-hand experience of the fall-out from the war in Ukraine on refugees and the vital work being carried out thanks to the generosity of donors.
Last week, I was fortunate enough to accompany the Choose Love team to Poland, to meet some of the 75+ organisations they’ve partnered with since the invasion of Ukraine. To-date, Choose Love has raised £5.9 million under Prism for Ukraine, and almost $15 million across their UK and US entities combined. For the past two years, I’ve focused on ensuring Choose Love’s grants are delivered swiftly yet safely, so the opportunity to better understand the context their partners are operating in was one I couldn’t turn down.
I quickly learnt how NGOs active in supporting the refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking population in Poland share robust communications networks. Information exchange, resource sharing and collective research was immediately apparent between partners, with the Grupa Granica coalition being an example of how shared expertise has created powerful forces for system change. Grupa Granica’s Monitoring Centre is responsible for recording, compiling and reporting testimonies of human rights abuses taking place at the Belarus border. With their evidence, they plan to build a case to challenge the Polish government’s response to the inhumane policies being implemented by Belarus.
It was also evident that many organisations were experiencing the same condescending and inflexible attitudes from large, international funders. From referring to local NGOs simply as ‘implementing partners’, to a distinct lack of understanding of the capacity available to prepare policies, due diligence and reports, over 70 organisations supported the need for a more collaborative approach from international NGOs. You can read the open letter to international funders wanting to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland here.
On a more personal note, I found that despite listening to the news and reading partner reports on a daily basis, nothing can prepare you for seeing and hearing about the reality facing people fleeing war and persecution first-hand. Accommodation centres may offer immediate shelter, but they’re not a long-term solution and rental properties in Warsaw are becoming financially inaccessible to many. Third country nationals do not receive the same access to accommodation, education and welfare support as Ukrainian citizens, and help to navigate the complex asylum process is in short supply. People arriving via irregular routes, particularly those crossing at the Belarus border, are met with hostility, armed guards and violence. Despite not presenting a danger to society, hundreds of people are detained in overcrowded, closed facilities.
As November approaches, energy shortages will only heighten many of these harsh realities facing refugees and migrants in Poland. Choose Love’s essential work to fill gaps for people in need will continue, ensuring that everyone receives the support they need this winter regardless of their background. You can read more about Choose Love’s Ukraine response here.
