Diagnosis of the situation of national and ethnic minorities in Kraków

Diagnosis of minority needs

The Jewish Association Czulent, in cooperation with the Internationaler Bund Polska Foundation and the Poland–Ukraine Institute Foundation, is implementing a project commissioned by the Kraków City Hall aimed at the “participatory development of recommendations for updating the policy of integration of foreigners and representatives of national and ethnic minorities in Kraków – participatory update of the Open Kraków Programme.”

The diagnosis focuses on the experiences of activists and leaders of minority communities living in Kraków. It is their perspective that serves as the starting point for analyzing the needs, challenges, and barriers they face on a daily basis.

The key question is: what are the needs of minority communities?

The report shows that these needs are multidimensional—they include access to public services, housing stability, social integration, safety, and the ability to meaningfully participate in the life of the city. At the same time, it indicates that existing solutions often fail to address these needs in a systemic way.

Between policy and everyday life – where does the gap emerge?

Although legal frameworks guarantee equality, protection against discrimination, and the right to preserve one’s identity, the way support systems function in practice does not always translate into the real experiences of residents.
This tension between declarations and reality is one of the key findings of the report.

The report organizes these needs into several key areas:

• access to information and public services
• situation on the labour market,
• housing and social security,
• socio-cultural integration,
• institutional support and cooperation with administration.

It is in these areas that both the challenges and the potential solutions are concentrated.

A key element is participation.

The publication shows that effective integration policy cannot be developed without the involvement of those directly concerned. It is members of minority communities who initiate the co-creation process, bringing in knowledge grounded in lived experience—not only in data analysis.

The report does not end with the description of problems—it serves as a foundation for further work on recommendations and the update of the “Open Kraków” Programme. It points to directions for change that aim to lead to a more inclusive, accessible, and effective urban policy.

This is also an example of our approach. At the Jewish Czulent Association, we begin by listening—and translate community voices into concrete systemic solutions. We combine research, participation, and advocacy to ensure that public policies are created together with those they affect.

The diagnosis was prepared as part of the commissioned public task: “Participatory development of recommendations for updating the policy of integration of foreigners and representatives of national and ethnic minorities in Kraków – participatory update of the Open Kraków Programme.” The project was carried out by the Jewish Association Czulent, Internationaler Bund Polska, and the “Poland–Ukraine Institute” Foundation, with the support of the Observatory of Multiculturalism and Migration.