ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the fundamental role of rights and citizenship in the successful integration of refugees. The numbers of naturalisation of refugees in Poland are low since, considering the statistics of granting international protection, ten times more people have been entitled to apply for citizenship than actually acquire it. However, even without citizenship, refugees engage in various civic participation in the host communities. The chapter aims to present two important domains of integration, namely the fundamental principles of citizenship and rights, and belonging and civic participation as forms of social connection. It outlines the legal framework of access to citizenship and other rights for beneficiaries of international protection in Poland. It also contains an overview of the refugee naturalisation statistics in Poland. Furthermore, it brings the findings of the RESPOND empirical research and sheds light on the experiences and perceptions of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection towards acquiring citizenship, belonging, and their participation in the political, social, and cultural life of Poland.
