Poland: Repatriation bill passed by the Sejm

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Subject: Poland: Repatriation bill passed by the Sejm

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Poland: Repatriation bill passed by the Sejm 


The Warsaw Voice
 
Who Will Poland Welcome?
 
by Krzysztof Renik
 
Discussions are in progress on the repatriation bill recently passed
by the Sejm. Under the bill, Poles from Central Asian countries
created after the dissolution to the Soviet Union and from the Asian
part of Russia can come to Poland as repatriates. The bill primarily
involves Poles who currently live in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Siberia. 

The Senate (the upper house of parliament), not happy with the
stipulations of the bill, had sought to expand the circle of those
allowed to take advantage of the new repatriation regulations to
include Poles living in all former communist countries. In this
scenario, Poles currently living in Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, the
European part of Russia and Ukraine, would have been eligible as well,
to mention only those countries in which Polish diasporas are the
largest. However, the Sejm subsequently rejected the Senate's
amendments and restored the bill to its original version. 

Why does repatriation cause so much emotion in Poland today? To answer
this question, it is necessary to determine whom exactly Poland would
admit as part of the current repatriation program. 

Poles currently living in Central Asia are the descendants of several
waves of migration several decades and even centuries ago most often
forced migration. Some were Polish insurgents from 19th-century
national uprisings. These people, after the uprisings - primarily the
January 1863 Uprising - failed, were deported to Siberia and Central
Asia by czarist authorities. Others belonged to the large group of
Poles deported to the east in the 1930s from what was then Soviet
Belorussia and Ukraine. The third wave of migration involved the
forced deportation of Poles from former Polish lands, which in 1939
were seized by Soviet troops. Among Poles who still live in Asia are
also the descendants of those who in czarist times, when Poland did
not exist as an independent state, voluntarily traveled within the
czarist empire in search of work and better living conditions.

After the end of World War II, Poland twice accepted compatriots from
the east. The first postwar repatriation covered those deported to the
Soviet Union during the first few years of World War II and who, at
the time of deportation, had prewar Polish passports. Those who did
not return immediately after the war but met the above criteria were
offered another opportunity to return after 1956, when Poland bid
farewell to the Stalinist period. Some of the Poles deported from
eastern Polish territories in 1939 left the Soviet Union during the
war with the Polish army that was created in the 1940s in the Soviet
Union and commanded by Gen. Wladyslaw Anders. Their evacuation through
the Middle East and Africa to Western Europe, America and Australia
created major immigrant communities in these countries. 

Thus Poles in Central Asian countries and Russia are primarily the
descendants of former deportees from the times of national uprisings,
and the children and grandchildren of Poles deported to the east in
the 1930s. Without prewar Polish passports, they could not take
advantage of the previous repatriation programs. They were simply
considered Soviet citizens of Polish but more often Russian,
Belorussian or Ukrainian - nationality. Under the new law, they would
have the right to come to Poland as repatriates. 

One of the main questions arising in connection with the law is to
what extent those eligible for repatriation have actually preserved
their Polish identity. This involves their knowledge of the Polish
language, culture and traditions, and knowledge of present-day Poland.
Finally, how far do these people identify with the Polish state? At
the heart of the matter is the question: Who will come to Poland -
Poles who feel linked with the homeland of their ancestors, or
citizens of the former Soviet empire simply looking for a better place
to live?

Those supporting the repatriation program, and especially those
calling for expanding it, argue that Poland has a moral obligation to
create opportunities for all those claiming Polish roots to return to
the country. Under this view, such people should obtain Polish
citizenship and assistance from the state in the course of settling in
Poland. Repatriation supporters argue that knowledge of language and
culture, and of Poland's current situation should not be a requisite
for repatriation. Repatriation enthusiasts quote Soviet policies,
which often forced denationalization. Many lost their Polish identity
because they lived in a totalitarian state which fought against all
aspects of national tradition. In favorable conditions, after arriving
in Poland, resettlers' national identity would reawaken and they would
relatively quickly begin to identify with Poland. 

Critics of the law, on the other hand, are much more restrained. They
point to the far-reaching Russification and Sovietization of the
descendants of Polish deportees. People declaring their Polishness in
Central Asia display a relatively low level of preservation of the
Polish language. This primarily applies to the middle and young
generations. The same goes for tradition, culture, and knowledge about
modern Poland. Communities expressing worries about the new
repatriation program point to the motivations of those wanting to come
to Poland from these countries. Economic factors seem to be of primary
importance. In reality, moving to Poland is not a return to the
country of one's ancestors so much as an arrival in a country
hopefully offering better living conditions.

The actual scope of repatriation among those declaring Polish heritage
is difficult to predict at this point. Estimates are that
20,000-30,000 will take advantage of the law, though some suggest this
number would be over 50,000. However, the repatriation law is another
fairly important problem - the need to prove Polishness. The Polish
consular services that will soon be implementing the law are already
sounding the alarm about many cases of forged documents in a bid to
prove Polish origin. For the time being, this chiefly involves
Kazakhstan and Russia, where the production of false documents
flourishes. In fact, the repatriation law opens a debate on whether
Poland should become a country of immigrants.

Theoretically, Poland will open its doors only to Poles. But in
practice the door would also be open to people who want to leave the
former Soviet empire for economic reasons. Should Poland be in favor a
large influx of immigrants? Can Poland afford far-reaching
repatriation? After all, the law calls for substantial state
assistance for resettlers.
 
These questions are without clear answers for the time being.

 
Visit http://www.warsawvoice.com.pl for more news and subscription
information

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