THE PROBLEM OF LANGUAGE IN THE PROCEDURE FOR GRANTING REFUGEE STATUS

Refugees constitute one of the most serious international problems that the world faces today. The problem of guarantee of access to a language that is understood by the applicant in the procedure for granting refugee status, presented in this paper, is strongly associated with this matter. Due to the fact that this is an issue which affects a considerable number of states, both interna- tional and domestic regulations concerning the granting of refugee status were selected for examination in the present paper. The provisions of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as of the Act of 13 June 2003 on granting protection to foreigners within the territory of the Republic of Poland were considered. The paper focuses on an analysis of the guarantee to make provision for communication in an understandable language, which does not create a barrier for the person applying for refugee status while communicating with administrative agencies that are decisive in granting the aforementioned status.