Events

There are many questions and doubts related to the migration and refugee crisis that remain unanswered.
How much do we spend on integration assistance – and what are the costs of not providing it? How much do we spend on social assistance for refugees and migrants – and what are the benefits of them opening their own businesses? Do migrants and refugees take away our jobs, or, on the contrary, do they create new jobs and fill the gaps in domestic markets, supporting the growth of European economies?
 
Since the outbreak of the migration and refugee crisis in 2015, public opinion in European countries has been constantly informed about the need to increase financial support to combat its consequences. The spending of those countries that have accepted asylum seekers is indeed increasing, yet there is little or no debate about the contributions of foreign workers and entrepreneurs to the economy.

 
We will discuss this issues during our meeting. Can we afford not to accept refugees and migrants?

 
 
Agenda

9:00 - 09:30    Coffee and registration
 
09:30 - 09:45 Opening of the debate and welcoming remarks
 
·         H.E. Ron J.P.M. van Dartel, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Poland
·         Knut Dethlefsen, Head of the Warsaw Office, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
 
09:45 - 11:50  Migrants and refugees: economic burden or contribution to hosting countries?
 
·         Paweł Kaczmarczyk, Centre for Migration Research (Poland)
·         Thorsten Klute, Arbeiter Wohlfahrt (Germany)
·         Sayaka Osanami Törngren, Malmö University (Sweden)
·         Elena Sánchez-Montijano, CIDOB – Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (Spain)

Moderator: Roman Imielski, Gazeta Wyborcza

11:50 12:00     Closing remarks
·         Jacek Kucharczyk, President of the Executive Board, Institute of Public Affairs
·         Jacek Safuta, Head of the Information Office of the European Parliament in  Poland