Lublin Voivodship Office (LUW) in Lublin received funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (FAMI) for the implementation of the “Friendly and safe government office” project

Lublin Voivodship Office (LUW) in Lublin received funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (FAMI) for the implementation of the “Friendly and safe government office” project. On August 31, 2017, in Warsaw, the vice-regional governor of Lublin, Robert Gmitruczuk together with the general director of the LUW in Lublin Paweł Gilowski and the director of the Department of Civil Affairs and Foreigners Angelika Konaszczuk, entered into a financial agreement allowing the commencement of the first activities, i.e. renovating the building at 15 Czechowska street in Lublin and designating the building exclusively for service to foreigners.

The aim of the project is to develop infrastructure by separating, modernizing and renewing the building, which role is to provide a comprehensive service to third-countries nationals, and striving to provide professional services to those citizens by increasing the knowledge of foreign languages ​​and specialist skills of officers. The aim of the project is also to conduct information activities by developing a modern and friendly for foreigners website in selected languages. Activities undertaken as part of the project will aim at counteracting illegal migration, including illegal labor migration and the phenomenon of human trafficking, and will become a showcase of the host country.

The project involves renovation of the building at 15 Czechowska street in Lublin, owned by the State Treasury, which is under a permanent management of the beneficiary, in order to be used exclusively to serve third-countries nationals. The planned renovation covers: general renovation of basements, works on the ground floor and first floor of the building including, among others, painting office rooms, making a suspended ceiling in the corridors on the first floor, laying floor panels or floor carpets on the ground floor and floor, removing architectural barriers for the disabled, making partition walls, replacing internal doors, as well as installation of air conditioning and monitoring. A commemorative plaque will be installed on the building, containing information about financing the project with FAMI. On the ground floor of the building, there will be an air-conditioned waiting room, in which there will be tables with chairs, information boards and a corner for the mother with a child, as well as a table and toys for older children. A changing table will be placed in the toilet. A professional information point will also be built. On the ground floor there will also be 4 rooms serving foreigners, i.e. points for receiving applications and issuing residence cards, room for lodging explanations and 2 sanitary rooms. In the basement, there will be utility rooms as well as wardrobes and shelves will be placed in which archived files will be kept, used in subsequent administrative proceedings. On the first floor, separated by a door for a magnetic card from the rest of the building, there will be 15 rooms: 13 rooms for employees and 2 rooms for explanations by foreigners. On the first floor there will also be 2 sanitary rooms, a social room for employees, a director’s room (not part of the project) and a hall, which is also a waiting room for migrants there, with tables, chairs and information boards. A second corner for the mother with a child and a table and toys for older children will also be created. Moreover, it is planned to purchase equipment for rooms (furniture) as well as computer and office equipment for employees, as well as equipping sanitary rooms and a social room. For people who do not know Polish well, doors will also be marked in Ukrainian, Russian, English and Braille. To improve the operation, it is planned to purchase a foreign traffic management system (queue system) associated with the internet calendar to make an appointment and application to track the status of the case.

The project also includes activities that fit into the informational campaign by:  installing 3 infomats – 1 on the ground floor, 1 on the first floor and 1 on the outside, developing a website dedicated to third-countries nationals and publishing informational leaflets and practical gadgets. 

In the newly adopted building, there will be a place for officers serving foreigners. Officers, as part of the project, will raise their linguistic skills in English, Russian, Ukrainian, as well as interpersonal skills aimed at liaising with clients of other cultures.

The project in general will serve both foreigners who will have a dedicated office given their needs and officers, thus becoming the showcase of the host country.

The result of the project will be creation of a friendly and safe for the foreigners office, where they will get a complex and professional support thanks to a state-of-the-art equipment and skilled officers.

Renovation and modernisation of the building dedicated exclusively to foreigners affairs will raise the comfort and safety, thus leading to a positive change in handling foreigners affairs.

In a separate building 31 employees will work in 19 spacious offices with a modern equipment. In the basement, there will be wardrobes and shelves will be placed in which archived files will be kept, used in subsequent administrative proceedings. On the ground floor of the building, there will be an air-conditioned waiting room, in which there will be tables with chairs, information boards and a corner for the mother with a child, as well as a table and toys for older children. A changing table will be placed in the toilet. A professional information point will also be built. In a spacious hall on the first floor, tables with chairs, corner for mother and child will be set for foreigners awaiting information in the administrative proceedings. Information boards will be placed. All the above will definitely make foreigners visit more comfortable.

Foreigner movements management system integrated with internet calendar and app designed to follow the status of administrative proceedings will simplify filing motions, eliminate lines and abuse of power of unfair intermediaries and will lead to limit the uncertainty regarding the current status of the motion filed.

Linguistic trainings (English, Ukrainian, Russian), as well as training on „difficult” client handling will result in rise of professionalism of the officers. As consequence, the quality of service will increase, and individual situations will be understood better.

Thanks to undertaken information activities third-country inhabitants will have increased knowledge about legal stay in Poland.

These activities will result in transparent information and a better understanding of the host country’s requirements. Developing modern and easy-in-use website in different foreign languages, installing three infomats (including one in front of the building, available 24h) and placing information boards will lead to correctly filled in documents submission, better relations between the official and client and, consequently, to build a positive image of friendly Polish office

Long-term effect: Due to the fact that the renovated building at 15 Czechowska street in Lublin in Lublin, owned by the State Treasury, is in the permanent management of the applicant and will be intended for servicing only third-country inhabitants, it is assumed that for this purpose it will serve for at least 10 years, as in program requirements. By this both employees and third-country inhabitants will get a place dedicated to their specific needs. Separating the building only to the needs of third-country inhabitants will become the rolling example of the host country and will improve the comfort of customer service as well as the employee himself. The building will be adapted for disabled people (marking in the Braille alphabet, elimination of handicaps for the disabled). Special places will be created for mothers with children, a changing table for children will be provided in the toilet. For people who do not speak Polish well, there will be signs in Ukrainian, Russian and English. Separated interrogation rooms will ensure clients’ comfort, especially when they require special treatment (they are after heavy passes, have experienced violence, etc.).

The total budget of the project is PLN 1 099 269.20. Co-financing from FAMI is 75% of this amount, i.e. PLN 824 451.90.