Visas granted to foreigners legally and for bribes. "The widest door" for citizens of Belarus and Ukraine. "The flood of Poland with migrants from cultural countries", from Turkey, India, Philippines, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Moldova, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China. In this chaos of information from the left and the law, we frequently forget that since Poland joined the European Union, citizens of other, frequently distant countries are increasingly coming here. Why do their good, their safety, their dreams lie in the country on the Vistula River? What's it like here? What problems do they face?
A Problemous Name
January 2022
– My name is Clinton Tham Vun Khee and I am a Malaysian citizen from Sabah State, I have lived in Poland for 5 years. I came to survey architecture. I applied to different countries, and my father
He asked: “Why to Germany, after all, is it a Nazi country?” But Poland accepted me, which besides did not like my parents, due to the fact that in Malaysia you know small about Poland – says in English a dreamy-eyed, dark-eyed young man with long hair. His wife, Polka, Agata sits next to him. We're in tight
apartments that rent close the centre of Krakow, around the table is their daughter, on the walls colorful Polish landscapes – Clinton watercolours.
– We met on Instagram, I was looking for information about Krakow, I was shooting pictures, Agata was following the same hashtag. She wrote after six months that there was a organization at a school where she was learning Chinese, after the event she asked if I would invitation her to McDonald's. – He looked like a Chinese model – he adds
Agata – I thought, “Aha, another Chinese poser in Krak’s castle”, I did not believe he was 25 years old.
In 2019, Clinton and Agata began registering the marriage, a trial that lasted for 2 years. To get married, they had to get Malaysian confirmation that Clinton was never married. They had to look for all the information about the papers they needed on the Internet, due to the fact that the embassy didn't know anything. Finally, with a stack of papers they went to the office in Agaty's hometown, 30 minutes from Krakow. The woman in the window had a problem with his birth certificate due to the fact that the translator missed 1 signature, 30 years ago. The clerk besides had a immense problem with his name.
I'm a Malaysian Chinese. According to our culture, names are written in between names. However, in Poland it turned out that the name must be at the end, which did not agree with my passport.
– We heard from the ladies in the offices: “I had many Chinese and Vietnamese peters, I know what Asian papers look like, “This is your problem”, “It will be easier if you fly and get married in Malaysia”. A fewer times I couldn't take it, and I was shaking and I almost screamed, and I slammed them once.
documents and goodbye – he gets tense at Agat's specified memory.
– Finally, we were ordered to deliver court papers confirming the legality of his name. We were already preparing for the wedding, and the authoritative said, “There is no stamp on this document!” Plus, you had to pay for a stamp confirming the validity of the document.
Even at our wedding, they asked, “What name is that?” – Clinton laughs. – And the wedding was small, a house, from Malaysia no 1 flew. Clinton has a temporary residence card, so their next Kafk bureaucracy, or intelligence, awaits. Separately she, separately he, with the aid of a juror for whom
They'll gotta pay. They will ask about, for example, the colors of the walls in the bedroom, the exact dates of meeting, the names of friends.
– Clinton does not remember specified details – Agata is worried. I'm asking Clinton about his watercolors on the walls.
– Polish landscapes in strong Asian colors, does it not get down on Polish autumn, early spring?
That's what I'm dealing with – laughing. I like to watch the planet bounce in puddles. Worse with knowing of Polish behavior. It's in line, for example, for ice cream, although Agata explains to me that it's part of the past here. And I can't get utilized to Polish food, I miss family
And Malaysian cuisine.
What are their plans, their dreams? Clinton graduated from Polytech, but he found nothing in the profession of architect, so he works for a commercial company, English, of course, in finance. They're saving up for the apartment.
He's on the time card, he most likely won't be able to buy anything here – he's worried about Agata.
October 2023
I compose to Clinton: “How are you?” He replies: “All right, but due to inflation, kid expenses and rising property prices, we can no longer afford to live in the city.
I inactive work in Krakow, but after 3 years of hiring and problems with the owner, we are not curious in renting, especially at current rates. Unfortunately, we did not receive adequate credit to buy the right place in Poland. We're leaving next month.
to Malaysia with the hope of a better life".
Ridiculous and no logic
January 2022
At Kraków Kazimierz I made an appointment with Heidi, there was an elegant blonde with a strong, hoarse voice. We went to the soup bar. Heidi is most fond of churn served in a loaf
bread. In English, with the strong accent spoken by white Africans, she spoke of her “the most beautiful country in the world”: corruption, violence, robberies, murders. About how black people smoke
White memorials, as they burn African books, destruct universities. She told of her city Cape Town, armored gates, electrical fence, alarm strategy and 5 locks on the door.
She lived on a beach she couldn't enjoy anyway. The decision to emigrate to Poland was made with their husband erstwhile electricity began to run out in the city.
– I never thought I would gotta learn Polish – Heidi sighs. It's the hardest thing I've always done. It's an ego problem, due to the fact that I feel so stupid erstwhile I'm 50, and I've had it in my country.
I've been working in a advanced position on tv productions, I've traveled a lot. Now I go to language school, and I inactive only know the basics: greetings, how much it costs, erstwhile the train arrives, where to go and so on. This language has no logic! I can't scope the level that would allow
to find a basis for further advancement in science. Female, male, negro, tip, declination... I reached the point where I told my teacher: “Can we stick to the level: I am Heidi, and the times we will do later?” At home I have an additional screen for the computer, on which I explain everything, due to the fact that in Poland, erstwhile I buy even hair shampoo, I gotta Google the product review, here nothing is described in English.
She came here full of energy, wanted to look for work, and then moving around offices, bureaucracy, covid, she realized the language barrier was like another armored gate. She realized that alternatively of looking for employment, she had to analyse everything, slow down.
– Dear God, Polish bureaucracy! Migratory offices have caused me fear, and I'm not afraid of anything. Poles seem rude, in time I realized that this is simply a cultural manner in which the process is most important. It's an old strategy where all column should be filled, and, b, c, nobody thinks
No 1 jumps any further, no 1 in the offices speaks English. Even in Africa, officials are much faster, more efficient at serving petents. And here! any officials are kind, but I've besides met those who wait to make your life miserable. I learned to separate them from a distance: the way they look at you, body speech, eye contact. You go in, you say hello smiling, and they look from behind the computer screen, they give you a sign they're busy... Or they sit and wait, they look you in the eye, they don't ask you, "How can I help?" Anyway, older or younger, I've met quite a few officials who might have been students, with the young, it's the worst thing you want to do in the hours before closing, there's no way! Or safety guards at the entrances to the facilities! They can set a man upright, intimidate, number one, two, three, like cops. PESEL, a change of driver's license, a visa knew about its “most beautiful country in the world”: corruption, violence, armed robbery, murders. About how black people burn white memorials, how they burn African books, how they destruct universities. She told about her city of Cape Town, the armored
gates, electrical fence, alarm strategy and 5 locks in the door. She lived on a beach she couldn't enjoy anyway. The decision to emigrate to Poland was made with their husband erstwhile the city began
There's no electricity.
’– Thank God the parents of the husband who came to South Africa in the 1980s as refugees kept Polish citizenship and surviving in Warsaw! '– Thank God the parents of the husband who came to South Africa in the 1980s as refugees retained Polish citizenship and flat in Warsaw!
Heidi has been in Poland for 2 years, for safety and due to his son, who is 18 years old and had no prospects for studies and work in South Africa. In Krakow, a boy learns in advanced school in English,
with Dutch, Germans, Lithuanians, Ukrainians. Heidi laughs that he has developed his own global accent, something between American and Ukrainian slang. He will apply to the university here due to the fact that “Polish universities are fantastic”, or to Amsterdam, where he is easier
It'll be linguistic.
I never thought I would gotta learn Polish – Heidi sighs. It's the hardest thing I've always done. It's an ego problem, due to the fact that I feel so stupid erstwhile I'm 50, and I've had it in my country.
I've been working in a advanced position on tv productions, I've traveled a lot. Now I go to language school, and I inactive only know the basics: greetings, how much it costs, erstwhile the train arrives, where to go and so on. This language has no logic! I can't scope the level that would allow
to find a basis for further advancement in science. Female, male, negro, tip, declination... I reached the point where I told my teacher: “Can we stick to the level: I am Heidi, and the times we will do later?” At home I have an extra screen for the computer on which
I explain everything due to the fact that in Poland, buying even hair shampoo, I gotta Google
product review, here nothing is described in English.
She came here full of energy, wanted to look for work, and then moving around offices, bureaucracy, covid, she realized the language barrier was like another armored gate. She realized that alternatively of looking for employment, she had to analyse everything, slow down.
– Dear God, Polish bureaucracy! Migratory offices have caused me fear, and I'm not afraid of anything. Poles seem rude, in time I realized that this is simply a cultural manner in which the process is most important. It's an old strategy where all column should be filled, and, b, c, nobody thinks
No 1 jumps any further, no 1 in the offices speaks English. Even in Africa, officials are much faster, more efficient at serving petents. And here! any officials are kind, but I besides met
The kind that waits to make your life miserable. I learned to separate them from a distance: the way they look at you, body speech, eye contact. You go in, you say hello smiling, and they look from behind the computer screen, they give you a sign they're busy... Or they sit and wait, they look you in the eye, no.
They will ask, ‘How can I help?’. Anyway, older or younger, I've met quite a few officials who could have been students, with the young, it's the worst thing you want to do in the hours before closing, there's no
A chance! Or safety guards at the entrances to the facilities! They can set a man straight, intimidate, number one, two, three, like cops. PESEL, a change of license, a visa for a boy who has the name of his ex-husband...
Jah... – sighs heavily, in African Heidi. – I spent the first 2 months in these offices, spent 8,000 rands plus PLN 2000 to translate documents. In my language specified bureaucracy is called eng – laughs – erstwhile individual talks stupid or is simply a pain in the ass. erstwhile
I couldn't stand it, I started screaming in African (Heidi screams something that sounds like ihcn kir, trach, rach, niken denkan!). And that was the first time they'd noticed me. But despite the linguistic and Kafkovsky difficulties of Heidi officials, he claims that he inactive sees his future in Poland. She met Krakow musicians, started singing with them at concerts, in pubs, and singing is hers
Passion. She even found shops that sale roiboos tea, due to the fact that in Kraków, diaspora grows
White South African migrants.
– Poles like to complain about their country, but they inactive have options, they inactive have freedom.
The police are inactive police, there's discipline, not lawlessness like South Africa.
October 2023
Heidi writes: “My boy made his M.A. and begins his studies at AGH. Yeah, I'm inactive singing. I received a permanent residence card, but the boy is inactive temporarily staying – he is treated as an adult, separately from me and his husband. Another shock on the part of Polish papierology, but I accepted the formalism here, I will not quit so easily.
They all get the same thing.
January 2022
Another South African immigrant Chris complains about the difficulties with the Polish language. He has been surviving in Poland for 5 years, came here to work in an global corporation, brought in his partner Peter.
When Chris was in the office, Peter, who doesn't talk Polish, went for walks. As the sun was shining, he sat under Barbican and watched the world. publically men do not hold hands, it is known, it is Poland. But they have any friends, in the country, close Krakow, where they go on weekends. And so life on the Vistula River would be peaceful, with small longings for African heat and food, if it wasn't for Chris' serious illness. The company he works for paid for investigation in the private system, then fell into a network of public hospitals.
– Doctors are the best in the world, many talk even English, although not very well. But the worst is the administration, the terrible manners and the deficiency of English, Jah, to break through an crucial receptionist woman is drama!
He was in 4 hospitals where he experienced a cultural shock: deficiency of privacy, due to the fact that there are no curtains by the beds, overflowing rooms. He was lying in the hallway for a week, next to Chris, moaning tied to an old man's bed. infirmary food? He's laughing.
– The worst was dinner, all day bread with curd, although I have lactose intolerance. But the large thing about the Polish medical strategy is that everything is cheap, if not free – Africans enjoy it. And they're all treated the same. The prof. was lying next to me, getting the same food, taking care of the same nurses and doctors. That's great!
October 2023
Chris replies: “We’re inactive in Krakow, all right, thanks.”
Ideas about Africa from Sienkiewicz
January 2022
Cultural shock was besides experienced by dark-skinned Damian from Kenya, in Poland for 11 years. We meet in a cafe, I am impressed by how well he speaks Polish.
– I learned Polish here, in language school, in time I gained liquidity. I chose Poland due to the fact that my parents couldn't afford to send me to a university in England. Parents had no thought what Poland looked like, only what they read from the newspapers. I was 18 years old, I thought everything was large in Poland, twice as good as me, everything organized, everything worked out! And I'm free, I can do quite a few things in my life, at home, I'd be active with parents who decide everything. But in time I learned Polish and began to realize mocking behavior, contempt that I was from any Africa, ridicule that in my country we live on trees. In time, I gained confidence, realized that things I had no control over were not worth fighting for. Racism, discrimination? I'd alternatively not think about it, forget it. First studies didn't go out, he had communication issues, he didn't get help. Now she studies advertising graphics and works in the tourism industry. He says it's only after five.
years in the company began to respect him. He has good contact with customers and advanced sales targets.
– Women are helpful here, easier to contact. Men, Poles? I don't have a Polish friend, not one. Why? It's hard to judge. I tried. 2 years ago, on independency Day, I had a sad situation. I went to work for the night, 3 men at the bus halt started me
insulting: “You, Black Bamboo”, started whistling, jumping like monkeys, showed them the mediate finger, started following me, aggression, violence. any grandpa came to help. They got off. I was recovering a long time later. What else does Damian not like about Poles? For example, erstwhile he was looking for an apartment, he heard that Africans are not hired due to the fact that they are noisy, listening to loud music. And a friend from India said that Indians cook besides much and they odor like spices. And as a foreigner sees, the rental price increases 500, 1000 PLN per month. Damian doesn't like to talk Polish either,
And people pretend they don't understand, talk like a child, without respect. Fortunately, he besides meets those who are positive, which gives him motivation. In his passions, he reads Polish books, late Mroza, Żulczyk, and says that the most hard language readings are school readings, specified as “The Flood” or “The Desert and the Forest” of Sienkiewicz.
– I read for controversial reasons due to the fact that they wanted to retreat from the school canon. Indeed, I was amazed at what it said. And most importantly, Poles read this book and think that Africa is inactive the same, and that was the 19th century. individual erstwhile cried for me: “Calms to eat, Kali to drink,”
I was wondering, what is it? Only after reading “In the desert and in the wilderness” did I understand.
But you know, there are stereotypes in my country, too. Poland is taken as a whole, as a Europe. “This is the country from vodka”, “This is the country where they besides leave the Church.” Those who are more curious know what happens
on the Polish-Belarusian border. In my opinion, people should be helped, at least to supply a place to sleep. But my colleagues in Kenya are only asking about Lewandowski or is it easier in Poland with work, what transport is, or do we respect time. Oh, yeah, with time, Damian had to switch. Time seems to flow faster in Poland. He's late for our meeting, although he says he knows that Poles don't like it.
Explains that in Kenya late is normal, even an hour.
And here, can you imagine individual waiting that long? He besides learned European space. There is chaos in Nairobi, infrastructure problems, corruption, insecurity, and here, as Damian claims, they try, respect, everything is arranged. What's this young man's plans, dreams? She has a Polish partner and a small girl who would like to live in a warmer country. My girlfriend's from a tiny town, I went to her place, her parents accept me. What about Kenya, Spain?
October 2023
Damian writes in Polish: “At the moment, my life has no large changes. I'm focusing on my work and my family. I am glad to have support from my loved ones which motivates me to make tiny and large changes." They complain due to the fact that they don't know the worst 25-year-old Daniel from Iran works in the computer industry, has been in Poland for 14 years. The emigration papers were arranged by the company, the stairs began in Polish banks. Due to sanctions imposed on Iran by the US, no Polish bank would open an account. Finally, it went to Pekao SA. Then his passport became a problem again erstwhile he was looking for credit for the house. It worked again, this time in ING. They bought a home close Krakow with their wife, only 25 minutes to the city center. Daniel says this home is “really nice”.
January 2022
Daniel says that in Iran small is heard about Poland, so they thought Kraków would look like Moscow. The plans were six months, then Germany or Holland. They landed in the Balic Islands, and here everything was clean, modern, then they were delighted by the Old Town, the castle, the Vistula, even liked
Polish cuisine. erstwhile the colds came, they noticed that there was 1 thing that Krakow connected to Tehran – smog. There are over 9 million people surviving in Tehran, no public transport, car problems. The thought of emigration continued to the West erstwhile Daniel went to Amsterdam and Hamburg.
– We went to a Turkish restaurant, and there the ghetto, the Moroccans, the Iraqis, the Kurds who treated us unpleasantly erstwhile they found out we were from Iran. We realized that it would be harder for us to enter German or Dutch society than into Polish society. In addition, in Poland the cost of surviving is lower
And a better labour marketplace than the West. Daniel and his wife, who besides works in IT, slow integrate in Krakow, sometimes leave with respective Poles, with whom they managed to make friends only after two
years.
– First I went to language school, now I take private lessons at 100 PLN per hour. I besides watch YouTube in Polish, tv shows about the kitchen. I have immense problems with declinations, grammar, although pronunciation is rather easy for us, due to the fact that in Persian we besides have “sz”, “p”, I can
Say "stop" – boasts.
– I have a goal, go to level B1, due to the fact that I want to mix so much with the local community, realize everything they say. We erstwhile went for pizza in the center of Krakow, my friend looks like an Arab, 2 Poles started screaming: “Allahu Akbar!” We didn't answer anything. But I thought about it all the time, for 2 months, all night. What did they mean? Don't they accept us?
Sometimes Daniel wonders about the decision to live in Poland. Was it good? But if he stayed in Iran... I couldn't plan a peaceful future like this. Imagine, my wife already took off her hijab on a plane to Poland – Daniel recalls.
– She feels truly happy here, free. He laughs erstwhile he talks about Poles complaining about their country:
– Complaining is simply a similarity between Polish and Persian culture. If I, as Persians, complain about Iran, that's fine. But if you, a foreigner, complain about Iran, it's not OK. The same applies to Poles. Most people complain about just saying something due to the fact that they don't truly know the worst. I had a colleague who opposed everything in Poland, complained about the xenophobic, racist government, wanted to go to Canada. I told him it was a misconception. "You as a Pole have the option to choose a fresh government. I, as Persians, no longer have specified an opportunity, I cannot participate in elections.” It scares me erstwhile I see akin political patterns. In Iran, religion has so much control, in Poland the Church besides influences everything, so that things don't go the same way. And what does Daniel think about the fact that the Polish-Belarusian border besides tries to get its citizens into Europe, and the Polish government does not let them in, so many die in the forest?
– 1 of the reasons why we moved to Poland is emigration policy. I support 100% that you do not let mass illegal migration. Look at the crime statistics.
Germany or England. In my country, they say nothing about those who died in the Polish forest, they only talk about cooperation with Russia and helping citizens who want to return to Iran. Besides, these people in Iran have nothing to lose, no job.
October 2023
When asked what was going on today, Daniel didn't reply. From the photograph on his FB profile, can I conclude that he inactive lives in Poland? In a grey sweatshirt, shorts, trekking shoes, with a headband posing at the top of Babia Góra.
Return to parent Country
January 2022
Claudio speaks Polish very well, his parent is Polish. But there are no Polish papers, he was born and raised in Italy. erstwhile he turned 16, he went to England, where he has a occupation at the bank, an English partner, a child. However, he dreams of moving to his mother's country, bought even a part of land
near Krakow, waiting for a construction permit.
– There's nothing in the fields. Around the fields and the woods. The current is up, but I want to be self-sufficient. We went through thousands of projects, picked a home over a 1000 meters with a basement. But prices go up, inflation, massacre, you can't see the end. Meanwhile, in England, buying land, building a home is simply a luxury only for the rich. Claudio takes into account the credit in the Polish bank, intends to find a occupation in the profession, although he noted that recruitment works differently here, the remuneration is given about on the announcements, the actual rates of the curious learn about erstwhile he gets the job. That's why Italy wants to put the money distant for the first six months of life in Poland. He besides says that there is no 1 in Poland and that he is afraid of costs, that he will not manage with earnings, expenses. He's got adequate in Britain.
until the end of the month, and he can postpone.
– And I don't like to talk about politics due to the fact that it's like talking about tastes. I don't like the Polish political situation very much, most people have soapy eyes. Poland is specified a developed country, and yet
The people in the villages are conducted by the Church. full backwardness erstwhile it comes to LGBT cases. Last summer, I was in Krakow, there was a black man walking before me, talking on the telephone in his own language. He passed his family: father, mother, 2 children. And this Polish father started giggling, his children too. ‘What
You teach young generations? – I asked.
– Do Poles in another countries not talk their language?’ He didn't answer. Claudio was erstwhile with Polka, they have a son, she fled England to her hometown. The lawyer told them that in England a divorce would be more difficult, it would should be proven treason, force or separation by minimum
Two years. In Poland, they received a divorce for character incompatibility. – My boy is 10 years old, I would like to see him often, but I can only spend holidays, holidays and holidays. My ex-wife doesn't come to England due to the fact that she doesn't agree to apply for a passport, she doesn't see the need, and the travel expenses are on my side. I see him erstwhile a year. That's why I dream about moving to Poland. And is his British partner of this emigration to the Polish countryside not afraid? – We went on vacation to Poland in the winter, minus 18 degrees,
She was terrified. But then we came in the summer, she didn't see any more problems.
October 2023
Claudio answers: “I moved to Krakow, I rent an apartment, my partner and my kid will arrive in a fewer months. Next year we will plan further."
