What Drives Local Action? Proactive Reception and Early Integration for Ukrainian Forced Migrants in Polish Cities: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the conditions under which Polish cities adopt proactive reception and early integration responses for Ukrainian forced migrants following the 2022 Russian invasion. Despite Poland's centralized governance and limited municipal authority over migration, certain cities adopted a proactive approach, coordinating reception and initiating early-integration measures beyond minimal compliance. Employing Qualitative Comparative Analysis, we examined 12 urban cases to identify configurations of conditions—political leadership, institutional capacity, socio-economic opportunities, and community attitudes—that facilitate proactive approaches to reception and early integration. Our findings reveal that strong political leadership is a necessary condition across all proactive cases. Additionally, combinations involving high institutional capacity, favorable socio-economic conditions, and supportive community attitudes contribute to municipal action exceeding baseline requirements. These findings help to understand the urban context in shaping reception and early integration, demonstrating that local configurations of resources, governance, and community dynamics can drive municipal responses to forced migration crises, particularly within centralized systems.