On the 25th of August TV Polonia issued a program – with participation of Barka UK - about Polish migrants in the UK.

On the 26th of August at 2.30am (UK time) and then at 11.05pm (UK time) the program will be once again shown on TV Polonia.

Below you will find a link to TV Polonia - however, it is a paid website.

click here

Please click here to read the article about the situation of Middle Eastern European migrants and Barka UK acitvity, “Goniec Polski” 30th July 2010.

Sweeping the homeless under the carpet

Pleas click here to read the article about migrants and aid organizations: ThamesReach and Barka UK in “Rzeczpospolita“, 14th August 2010.

Here is the notice of a meeting with a Swedish researcher participating in the study of migration of A10 citizens in the UK.

After a short introduction Barka representatives (Marta Jankowska and Janusz Smura) passed information about the work of assistants and leaders of Barka UK working in the Reconnection Program in London as well as outside of the capital and briefly described the history of BARKA Foundation in Poland. We talked about BARKA’s programs on preventing and overcoming homelessness and returning to society including Schools of Social Animation, Clubs of Social Integration, Centres for Social Integration, Centres of Social Economy, social cooperatives, self-employment in social enterprises, community houses, conducting AA and self-help groups.

Barka staff then longer spoke about all three programs of Barka in UK (Reconnections, Employment/Integration with Labour Market program and Training). Most of the questions concerned the Reconnection project, BARKA’s partnerships with A10 Consulates and Embassies, House of Lords, UK Government, local councils, outreach teams and other UK and A10 NGOs as well as our work at the day centres.

Barka staff explained that some of the Eastern European migrants in UK who became homeless, rough sleepers or addicted are directed to BARKA communities and other partner organizations in Poland and Eastern Europe and after completed treatments they enrol in a variety of integration and social entrepreneurship programs to exit from homelessness and return to society.

The meeting was very fruitful and Barka invited the guests for a study visit to Barka Foundation and the Barka Network in Poland. Janusz Smura also mentioned the migration research projects implemented within Barka’s Civic Institute for Monitoring and Recommendations.

Janusz Smura and Marta Jankowska

Leader and Assistant of Barka UK reconnection Project in the City of London and Tower Hamlets