Poland: Information on past and present treatment of Ukrainians displaced in Poland in 1947
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | POL9263 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Poland: Information on past and present treatment of Ukrainians displaced in Poland in 1947, 1 August 1991, POL9263, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acdb8.html [accessed 18 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please find attached copies of the Responses to Information
Requests POL3361 and POL3502 on this topic.
In reference to the current treatment of Ukrainians in
Poland, the U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human
Rights Practices for 1990 notes that although "there is no
government-sponsored interference with the practice of minority
religions [including Ukrainian Catholic]... some representatives
of minority religions have expressed concern about the Catholic
Church's ability to promote its social agenda" (Country Reports
1990 1991, 1237-1238). Country Reports 1989 indicates that
a number of the smaller churches find it difficult to maintain
their places of worship and train their clergy due to their small
size, wide dispersion and limited financial resources (Country
Reports 1989 1990, 1214). Please see the attached excerpts.
Country Reports for 1990 also states that ethnic
and religious discrimination are prohibited by law in Poland
(Country Reports 1990 1991, 1239). However, a September 1990
article in Uncensored Poland comments that although the
Constitution declares equal rights for the minorities, this
provision has not influenced practice in any way (September 1990,
23). In a March 1990 interview, the chairman of the Sejm
(Parliament) Ethnic Minorities Commission had indicated that the
Sejm intended to draft a law on minorities (Uncensored Poland
31 March 1990, 20); however, there is no information currently
available to the IRBDC on any progress in developing such a law.
In March 1991, the newly formed National Minorities Council, made
up of representatives of various minority organizations in
Poland, stated that "the present paragraph in the Constitution is
not relevant to the needs and aspirations of minorities" (FBIS-
EEU-91-050, 34). A recent article from the Polish news agency,
PAP, stated that foreign experts claimed the draft of the new
constitution "contained too few articles to guarantee the proper
implementation of human and citizen's rights in Poland" (FBIS-
EEU-90-093, 27).
Two attached articles from the Foreign Broadcast Information
Service report on the development of relations between Poland and
the Ukraine in the areas of youth and historical sights [sic]
(FBIS-EEU-91-124, 26; FBIS-EEU-91-110, 16). However, no further
information is currently available to the IRBDC on the current
situation of Ukrainians in Poland.
Bibliography
FBIS-EEU-91-124. 27 June 1991. "Youth Cooperation Agreement
Signed With Ukraine," PAP [Warsaw, in English], 22 June 1991.
FBIS-EEU-91-110. 7 June 1991. "Cooperation Agreement Signed with
Ukraine," PAP [Warsaw, in English], 6 June 1991.
FBIS-EEU-91-050. 14 March 1991. "National Minorities' Council
Established," in Domestic Service [Warsaw, in Polish], 13 March 1991.
FBIS-EEU-91-093. 13 May 1991 "Constitution Said not to Safeguard
Human Rights," PAP [Warsaw, in English], 9 May 1991.
Uncensored Poland. 19 September 1990, No. 17. Semprich,
Zaneta. "Minorities in Poland: Poland Not Only for Poles."
. 31 March 1990, No. 6. "Nationalisms and Nationalities: Is
There a German Minority in Poland?"
U.S. Department of State. 1991. Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1990. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
. 1990. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for
1990. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Attachments
FBIS-EEU-91-124. 27 June 1991. "Youth Cooperation Agreement
Signed With Ukraine," PAP [Warsaw, in English], 22 June 1991.
FBIS-EEU-91-110. 7 June 1991. "Cooperation Agreement Signed with
Ukraine," PAP [Warsaw, in English], 6 June 1991.
FBIS-EEU-91-050. 14 March 1991. "National Minorities' Council
Established," Domestic Service [Warsaw, in Polish], 13 March 1991.
Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation Centre. 30 January
1991. Response to Information Request POL3502.
. 11 January 1991. Response to Information Request POL3361.
Uncensored Poland. 19 September 1990, No. 17. Semprich,
Zaneta. "Minorities in Poland: Poland Not Only for Poles."
U.S. Department of State. 1991. Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1990. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
. 1990. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for
1990. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
