Ukrainian Refugees in Italy and Poland: AVSI and Soleterre with the SIP Project, Supported by European Funds, for Personalized Social Integration Pathways
From Research to Action: Following an in-depth study of the social, occupational, and psychological needs of Ukrainian refugees, the SIP project has now entered its operational phase, launching personalized social integration pathways in Italy and Poland. The project builds on the evidence gathered, translating study results into a structured model for support and inclusion.
Integration challenges in the labor market, housing needs, and the lack of more structured and inclusive policies emerged from the research phase of the SIP project — Socio-Economic Integration and Psychosocial Support Pathways for Ukrainian Refugees — promoted in Italy and Poland by Soleterre, AVSI, AVSI Polska, and the Migration Research Center in Warsaw with European funding.
Four years after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the lives of many refugee women in Italy and Poland remain marked by profound difficulties. Despite often high professional qualifications, their access to the labor market remains limited, language barriers persist, and risks of exploitation remain high. This situation highlights the structural challenges of integration pathways and underlines the urgent need for interventions that go beyond initial reception.
Poland, hosting the largest Ukrainian population in the EU, has benefited from pre-existing migration networks and strong civil society mobilization, yet the national regulatory framework has gaps in protecting vulnerable groups, access to housing, and family reunification. In Italy, where over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees are present, the reception system remains limited: only around 20% are hosted in public facilities, and fewer than 20% are employed.
In both countries, refugees are predominantly women (78–92%), often with dependent children, facing language barriers, professional de-skilling, and job insecurity despite medium-to-high levels of education.
To address these needs and move beyond emergency management, Soleterre, AVSI, AVSI Polska, and OBMF have been implementing the SIP project for several months to promote socio-economic integration and psychosocial support for Ukrainian refugees in Italy and Poland, with particular attention to women and vulnerable individuals. The goal is to develop a sustainable, replicable inclusion model for other European contexts.
After the initial research phase, the SIP project has begun testing concrete operational approaches that lay the groundwork for a larger pilot phase involving 40 Ukrainian refugee women in Italy and Poland. The “one-stop-shop” model will allow each participant to access a personalized, flexible, and continuous social integration pathway aimed at achieving greater stability, autonomy, and inclusion.
REASEARCH MATERIAL:
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Desk Review
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Methodological framework of the analysis and approach systematization
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Mid-term research & pilot systematization report (1)
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Mid-term research & pilot systematization report (2)
SIP: A European Project for Inclusion The SIP project aims to promote socio-economic integration and psychosocial support pathways for Ukrainian refugees in Italy and Poland, with a particular focus on women and vulnerable individuals. Its goal is to develop a sustainable and replicable inclusion model for other European contexts.
At the same time, the project seeks to strengthen local support systems through the creation of community hubs inspired by the European one-stop-shop model, offering integrated services such as job orientation, professional coaching, mental health support, and training.
The project is co-financed by the European Social Fund Agency (ESFA) under the Social Innovation Initiative and supported by the European Union. It is promoted by Work Is Progress of Fondazione Soleterre, Fondazione AVSI, AVSI Polska, and the Migration Research Center in Warsaw (OBMF).
