Integration of immigrants with the host society (the case of Poland)

  • Author: Ewa Sowa-Behtane
  • Institution: Ignatianum University in Cracow
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0190-0567
  • Author: Agnieszka Knap-Stefaniuk
  • Institution: Ignatianum University in Cracow
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9201-9889
  • Year of publication: 2024
  • Source: Show
  • Pages: 68-79
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/em.2024.04.05
  • PDF: em/27/em2705.pdf

This article presents the problem of immigrant integration in Poland. The research objective was to analyze the degree of integration of the immigrants with the host (Polish) society. The authors adopted the concept of 5 dimensions of integration as the theoretical basis for their research. The studies were carried out using a survey questionnaire. They lasted from November 2022 to March 2023 and were carried out via the Internet. 224 immigrants took part in the research. The condition for participation in the study was residence in Poland for at least 2 years. The respondents were asked, among other things, about free practice of one’s religion, access to places where one can practice religion (churches, temples, mosques, etc.), making and maintaining acquaintances, encountering discrimination/hostility on the part of Poles, importance of religion and tradition in adapting to life in Poland, the choice of Poland in the event of the possible re-deciding on the choice of residence place or a possible change of residence place. The analysis of the indicators revealed that the vast majority of the respondents (61%) had integrated with the host society to a great extent. However, a large group of immigrants (39%) who had problems with integration was also identified.

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