Project “Reduction of Social Exclusion of Kaišiadorys City Residents (Refugees) Strengthening Social Relations in the Community”

The project contract has been signed with the European Social Fund Agency.

The aim of the project is to create favorable conditions for the integration of refugees by providing the necessary knowledge about the social, cultural and work environment in Kaišiadorys and involving local people in the processes of refugee integration in Kaišiadorys.

“Project partner” – “Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts”.

Project implementation period: 2020-09-04 – 2021-12-04.

The reason for the solution of the project buses: population decline in Kaišiadorys, insufficient funding for non-governmental sector representatives, solutions and contribution to the prevention of social problems, insufficient social exclusion, involvement of the affected population in public life. These problems determined the implementation of the project, during which socially excluded persons (refugees) provide a lot of information about social services, living and working in Kaišiadorys, cultural activities on buses, cooperation and information dissemination networks, as well as project buses. volunteering so that residents are actively involved in solving problems relevant to the city.

During the project, 2 main groups of activities will be implemented:

• Organization of events for refugees and communities (Group consultation for the target group on accessible social services in Kaišiadorys; Events “Knowledge of Cultures”; Event for strengthening social ties in the community);
• Networking and dissemination networks.

The project activities will include local action groups of the adjacent territories – Kaišiadorys district, Kaunas district, Jonava and Prienai districts – their representatives will be invited by buses to participate in the events organized during the project, as well as join the public Facebook group on refugee integration. , living and working in Kaišiadorys, job offer in Kaišiadorys, other social services provided to refugees.

The project envisages the following activities:

• Organization of events for refugees and communities

During these activities, information and cultural events will be organized for refugees and the community in order to create favorable conditions for the integration of refugees and reduce social exclusion. 4 events will be organized to provide refugees with information about social services, employment opportunities, Kaišiadorys history and culture. Events “Knowledge of Cultures”

• One event on the topic “History and culture of Kaišiadorys city”.

The target group will get acquainted with the local population (community), communication skills will be developed. Participants will learn more about the history and culture of Kaišiadorys, which will facilitate integration in the new community (Kaišiadorys), help to integrate into community life, and will allow both Kaišiadorys residents and refugees to connect, not feel lonely in the city and thus reducing social exclusion. An attempt will also be made to organize an evening of various nations, the aim of which is to introduce the culture of refugees to the residents of Kaišiadorys and to create conditions for cooperation between local communities and refugees.

• An event to strengthen social ties in the community

An event is planned to strengthen the social ties of the socially excluded population (refugees) in the community. The event will be organized together with residents who do not experience social exclusion, thus indirectly aiming to motivate project participants and strengthen their social ties in the community.

• Volunteering
• Preparation of publicity measures by creating cooperation networks (leaflets for refugees (in English and Russian), leaflets for the public about refugees, information on the applicant’s and partner’s websites, Facebook group and information video)
• Cooperation networks

In order to set up a cooperation and information dissemination network, the Applicant and the Partner will conclude cooperation and information exchange agreements with organizations working in the field of refugee integration. The applicant will create a public group on the Facebook platform, which will provide information on refugee integration, living and working conditions in Kaišiadorys, job offers in Kaišiadorys, and other social services provided to refugees. Local communities and organizations working on refugee integration in the areas bordering the city of Kaišiadorys will be invited to join the group.

A video was created, which provides information about the opportunities for refugees to live and work in Kaišiadorys – “Kaišiadorys – open to all“.

Leaflets about refugees for the population.

Leaflets for refugees about Kaišiadorys:

EN – https://view.publitas.com/kauno-regiono-pletros-agentura/en-apie-kaisiadoris-pabegeliams-2/

RU-  https://view.publitas.com/kauno-regiono-pletros-agentura/ru-apie-kaisiadoris-pabegeliams-2/

Main information:

• Population – 29526 (in the city – 10528, in the village – 18998) (2020)
• Population density – 42.8 (2019)
• Unemployment rate – 8.1%
• Employment rate – 74.9%
• Operating companies – 484
• The average DU (gross) is 1130 Eur

According to statistics, the population of Kaišiadorys is declining, but living conditions are improving: more people are connecting to various systems, such as water supply, since 2015. there has been a significant reduction in the number of people injured and killed in road traffic accidents, thus ensuring greater safety and upgraded mobility, recreation and residential infrastructures.

In Kaišiadorys, the ratio of wages and real estate is favorable, so it is possible to buy one’s own home much faster. By earning an average salary, it is possible to buy an apartment in Kaišiadorys several times faster than in Kaunas or Vilnius. A home, work, kindergarten or school would be a few miles away, thus avoiding wasting time in traffic jams.

Meeting security needs:

Kaišiadorys District Municipality annually expands the network of social services by organizing and providing new social services according to the assessed need for social services. In 2017-2018, day social care services were developed in a person’s home, day employment in children’s day care centers, and the number of recipients of long-term social care services increased. There are also programs to ensure social security for people with disabilities, poor and large families. More info. https://kaisiadorys.lt/

Meeting social needs:

There are a number of communities in both Kaišiadorys and the district: https://kaisiadorys.lt/struktura-ir-kontaktai/seniunijos/bendruomenes/520, so an active community will help to integrate more quickly into society. There are also a number of public events in the city, and it is possible to join various art groups for children and adults. If you take a closer look at the laws and regulations, you can also look for social support, more about it: https://kaisiadorys.lt/gyventojams/veiklos-sritys/socialine-parama/1772

Find a home here:

Apartments: if you, like most people, like to have less worries, grow plants only on the windowsill, allow responsible persons to solve certain maintenance issues, live in a rich social environment – choose the opportunity to buy an apartment in Kaišiadorys. Your expectations will be met: https://www.aruodas.lt/butai/kaisiadoryse/kaisiadoriu-m/

Houses: the desire to live more privately, without many neighbors, with greater freedom and peace justifies the idea of ​​buying a house in Kaišiadorys: https://www.aruodas.lt/namai/kaisiadoryse/kaisiadoriu-m/

Apartments for rent: if you’re just getting an idea of ​​what your future home should look like, nothing like that. You can choose a rented apartment as a short-term home: https://www.alio.lt/paieska/butu-nuoma-kaisiadoryse/ Start your life in Kaišiadorys by starting your own business. Kaišiadorys District Municipality especially encourages entrepreneurial people and helps them to achieve their goals by providing support.

Municipal support for starting a business:

– Reimbursement of company establishment costs, up to 150 Eur (applications are submitted all year round);

– Reimbursement of in-service training costs, up to EUR 200 (applications are submitted all year round);

• Subsidy for the implementation of a business idea, up to 3000 EUR (applications are submitted from March 1 to May 31).

Potential applicants are small business entities that have been operating for no more than 5 years from the date of registration of the activity and whose registered office and main place of business is Kaišiadorys District Municipality.

Health. In Kaišiadorys, efforts are made to maintain the physical activity of the population. A variety of sports / dance activities take place here: zumba, functional training, trampoline training, line dancing, and swimming in the pool for other activities. Trainings take place at a certain time, and the most important thing is that they are completely free: https://www.kaisiadorysvsb.lt/visuomenes-sveikata-tai/

Where and what can be studied in Kaišiadorys?

You can study at Kaišiadorys Culture Center:

• To dance folk dances in the senior folk dance ensemble “Savingė” (leader Angelė Pačesienė);
• To dance entertaining dances in the sports dance group “Reveransas” (leader Remigijus Suslavičius); Choral singing – in the vocal ensemble “Nona” (conductor Jurgita Jašauskienė), in the choir “Do-Diez” (conductor Laima Mažuolytė);
• To sing various folk songs in the folklore ensemble “Verpeta” (leader Valerija Jankauskienė);
• Handicraft – decorative textile circle (leader Tatjana Prakapienė), embroidery circle (leader Birutė Marmakevičienė), artistic and practical leather work circle (leader Andromeda Ostašenkovienė)

In Kaišiadorys Art School you can learn:

• To play various instruments: accordion, piano, kankle, birby, violin, cello, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, flute, tuba, euphony, percussion (drums), guitar.
• Learn art: draw, mold.

Kaišiadorys District Municipality Public Health Bureau can learn:

• Nordic walking; Provision of first aid; Hygiene skills (compulsory training);
• On the harm of alcohol and drugs to human health (compulsory training);
• Health promotion and disease prevention; Health self-monitoring in the elderly: healthy eating, physical activity (SCC program).

And that’s not all! There is a list of 21 institutions where you can usefully spend your free time http://svietimas.kaisiadorys-sspc.lt/files/882/Kur%20ir%20ko%20galima%20mokytis%20Kaisiadoriu%20kraste.pdf

The district has well-developed poultry businesses, strong timber and furniture manufacturing companies, an extensive network of trade and catering services and an actively developing business support infrastructure. As the business environment improves, more jobs are created.

More job ads in Kaišiadorys city and district:

• info.kaisiadorys@ldb.lt
• http://www.uzt.lt
• http://www.cv.lt
• http://www.cvbankas.lt
• http://www.cvmarket.lt

Don’t stay at home, because Kaišiadorys provides a great opportunity to cultivate and learn about things you have never seen before! Kaišiadorys district is interesting not only for its exceptional nature and vegetation, but also for the abundance of attractions. Only in the small town of Kaišiadorys can you enjoy the impressive Kaišiadorys Cathedral, the Diocesan Curia, the Art Gallery, the Partisan Chapel in the Kaišiadorys Cemetery and other inferior objects. And where else is the whole district, full of various museums and expositions: the Lithuanian Folk Museum, the exposition of exile and resistance of the nation, which is in Rumšiškės, as well as the Kaišiadorys Museum, Rumšiškės Jonas Aistis Museum and the impressive Kruonis Hydro Accumulation Power Plant!

Who are those refugees?

A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country due to persecution, war or violence and seek security in another country. He has a well-founded fear of persecution on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.

He is unlikely to be able to return home or be afraid to do so. Until 2017 Endings worldwide were recorded at 25.4 million. refugee men, women and children. They often have to run only with clothes on their backs, leave home, things, work, and loved ones.

Refugee status:

Refugee status is a form of protection granted to those who successfully pass refugee status determination (RSD). The RSD is a legal process in which governments determine whether an asylum seeker can be considered a refugee.

Determining refugee status is the legal or administrative process by which governments or the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) determine whether an applicant for international protection is a refugee under international, regional or national law.

Facts:

• To date, more than 79.5 million people have been displaced by persecution, conflict, violence or human rights abuses. 1 in 103 people worldwide are asylum seekers, internally displaced persons or refugees.
• The level of the new transfer remains very high: every 4 seconds one person becomes transferred. That’s 16 people forced to leave their homes every minute or so – 23,800 every day. 85% of refugees are received by developing countries and less than 1 in 5 refugees in Europe.
• A key factor in the successful integration of refugees is the motivation to stay, i. social relations. If they are created, they help to find a place to live and a job. If not – this is the main factor to leave.

The main problems of refugee integration:

• Lack of resources (financial, time, human);
• Stereotypes and negative attitudes;
• Language barrier.

Key issues:

Why are refugees not staying in the EU countries they first arrived at?

People leave their country for different reasons. But when we talk about those fleeing war zones, they are also thinking about future prospects, realizing that they may and may not have the opportunity to return to their country.

What social benefits will a refugee receive?

It is estimated that maintaining one refugee per month, including meals, accommodation, language lessons, can cost around € 600. The European Commission intends to allocate € 6,000 for each refugee admitted. However, Lithuanian officials acknowledge that the social integration of refugees will also take place at the expense of the state budget.

Will refugees be able and willing to work in our country?

At the refugee reception center, vocational guidance courses and trainings are held for them, if people have documents proving their qualifications, it is recognized. After settling in any municipality, the newcomer can apply to the Labor Exchange. When will refugees be able to apply for Lithuanian citizenship?

According to the Migration Department, granting asylum in Lithuania includes issuing a residence permit (permanently or temporarily) in Lithuania and providing social assistance to a foreign citizen who has experienced or may experience persecution in his or her home country. A permanent residence permit in Lithuania is granted for 5 years in accordance with the usual procedure and may be extended after this term. The temporary residence permit for refugees may be extended after 2 years if no return to the country of origin is possible by that time.

Organizations working with refugees?

The Refugee Reception Center (RPPC) is a budgetary institution that provides social services, accommodation and state support for the integration of foreigners. The mission is to provide accommodation and social integration services to asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and displaced persons.

Operational objectives:

1. to provide social services; 2. to organize and implement the provision of state support for integration:

2.1. In the Center or other residential premises provided by the Center and in the territories of municipalities for asylum seekers (except for unaccompanied minor aliens);

2.2. Unaccompanied minor aliens accommodated in the center; 3. to organize reception and accommodation:

3.1. In the Center or in other accommodation provided by the Center for asylum seekers (except for unaccompanied minor aliens) until they are transferred to the place of integration in the territories of municipalities, or until the end of the provision of integration support, if integration takes place in the Center;

3.2. Unaccompanied minor aliens in the center;

3.3. At the Center for aliens who are or have been victims of crimes related to trafficking in human beings, during their period of self-determination or to co-operate with a pre-trial investigation body or a court investigating crimes related to trafficking in human beings;

3.4. Center for asylum seekers in agreement with the Ministry of the Interior;

4. to participate in the formulation and implementation of integration policy for asylum seekers in accordance with its competence; 5. to submit proposals to the Ministry of Social Security and Labor regarding the improvement of legal acts related to asylum seekers.

UNHCR UN Refugee Agency – seeks to ensure that everyone who has escaped violence, persecution, war or natural disaster in their home country has the right to seek asylum and find a safe haven.

The main tasks of the UNHCR Regional Office in Northern Europe are:

• to support the government’s draft European and international legislation on asylum and statelessness;
• observing that asylum seekers should have access to the countries of the region and be able to understand protection;
• to support state asylum institutions in developing fair, efficient and high-quality asylum procedures;
• to provide advice to governments, partners and stakeholders on how to help refugees integrate in the countries of the region;
• support governments in finding a solution to the situation of stateless persons in their country;
• ensure that asylum seekers and citizenships do not allow every person to enjoy their rights, regardless of their age, gender, diversity, encourage regional governments, partners and stakeholders to facilitate their active participation in the asylum process;
• to raise awareness of the location of millions of refugees worldwide and to put refugee and asylum issues on national agendas;

For the work of the UNHCR around the world. Karitas Lietuvos is an international Catholic organization that carries out humanitarian activities around the world and helps the poor, regardless of their race, religion, gender or nationality.

One of the missions is to help refugees, asylum seekers and newly arrived third-country nationals to integrate as well as possible in Lithuania.

“Lithuanian Railway Cross” is a state auxiliary humanitarian field, the purpose of which is to protect people’s lives and dignity, alleviate human suffering and provide assistance to people in distress in Lithuania and abroad.

Sources:

https://helprefugees.org/refugees-statistics/?gclid=CjwKCAiA_Kz-BRAJEiwAhJNY70sN6KVSPxm8avA3sPZys_07A6pWVNL6JidJdiuUqAGeXZDKGb-KHBoCINoQAvD_BwE
https://www.unhcr.org/what-is-a-refugee.html
https://refugees.lt/?s=pab%C4%97g%C4%97lis
http://www.rppc.lt/51489/istaigos-pristatymas.html
http://activeyouth.lt/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/TRY_prezentacija.pdf
https://www.caritas.lt/page/pagalba-uzsienieciams-
https://www.redcross.lt/integracija