Mechanizmy zarządzania kryzysem humanitarnym na poziomie regionalnym po pełnoskalowej inwazji Rosji na Ukrainę: przypadek Lubelszczyzny

Mechanisms of humanitarian crisis management at the regional level after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: the case of the Lublin region

Abstract: Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, assistance was organised in the Lublin Voivodeship for thousands of people fleeing the country. This assistance encompassed both reception support and measures aimed at adaptation and integration. Relief efforts involved actors operating at various levels and of diverse nature. The aim of this article, grounded in the concept of multi-level governance (MLG) of migration, is to analyse the mechanisms of humanitarian (migration) crisis management in the Lublin Voivodeship after 24 February 2022, taking into account the diversity of actors, evolving needs, and modes of response. The central question posed is whether the identified crisis management mechanisms can indeed be characterised as MLG. The article outlines types of assistance activities undertaken in the region, as well as successive phases corresponding to shifting needs. It further examines modes of governance associated with different categories of actors (operating across varied degrees of formalisation, centralisation, and hierarchy). It also identifies distinct dynamics of action: institutional inertia revealing systemic gaps, ad hoc measures implemented outside the formal system, and innovative solutions emerging from their interplay that contributed to strategic governance. The analysis leads to the conclusion that, in the case of the Lublin region, there were tensions between the centralist approach and local initiatives, as well as within the initiatives themselves. The magnitude of the crisis necessitated cooperation and flexibility, making isolated action impossible and resulting in significant changes to the regional migration governance ecosystem. The study draws on qualitative empirical data from 68 individual in-depth interviews (IDIs) and 2 focus group interviews conducted with representatives of public administration, civil society organisations, the business sector, religious communities, and informal initiatives, carried out between 2022 and 2023 as part of an international research project funded under the NAWA Intervention Grants programme. These were supplemented with secondary data, including statistics and available analyses.

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