• When did you join EASO?

It has been already some time ago 😊 I joined EASO in November 2014, so soon I will be celebrating 7 years in the Agency. At that time, we were still a relatively small Agency focusing mostly on the permanent support, at least within the Centre for Training, Quality and Expertise (CTQE), which I joined as Training and Quality Officer.

• Tell us more about you?

I am Polish and I have spent most of my professional career working in the field of asylum. Before joining EASO, I was working in the Polish Office for Foreigners. I started in the Department for Refugee Procedures as a case worker, interviewing applicants for international protection and drafting decisions. I was handling cases of applicants of various nationalities such as Palestinians, Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians, Pakistanis but also e.g., Nepalese. After the war in Georgia (2008) I also handled a considerable number of Georgian cases.

During the Polish Presidency in the EU Council (2011), I was assigned with the tasks of chairing the Asylum Working Party in Brussels. At that moment of time, in the Asylum Working Party we were negotiating the text of the recast Asylum Procedures Directive and the recast Reception Conditions Directive. The Qualification Directive was already in the trialogue and the Dublin III Regulation was discussed at the level of SCIFA. I must say that it was an unforgettable experience. We were directly involved in the creation of the EU asylum law by proposing new versions of the recast provisions and, on top of it, I had a possibility to interact with the delegations from all Member States, Commission, Council Legal Service. Memories to be truly cherished!

After the Presidency I took over the tasks of the Director of the Executive Office in the Office for Foreigners and it was the moment when my adventure with asylum slowed down for a little while, until I joined EASO 😊

• Did you find anything surprising about the organization or related to your work at the beginning? If yes, what was it?

In all honesty when I joined EASO in 2014, I already knew the Agency quite well. I have been participating in various EASO events since 2011, starting from the Management Board, through training development meetings and training delivery sessions. I knew the CTQE team, and I was very much looking forward to start working with them not only as a MS expert 😊 Anything surprising… yes, maybe our very limited resources in HR and ICT at this stage, I remember only one colleague working in HR (I have no clue how she was managing; it was truly impressive!).

• What do you find most challenging about your duties at EASO?

The challenges are changing every year together with the expanding scope of the Agency’s activities. I think that the most challenging part of our job is at the same time the most interesting one, and it is directly related to the nature of the asylum field. We are working in a constantly changing environment and it is impossible to be prepared for all possible scenarios. Having said so, we know that we need to react quickly and adequately to the needs that might appear and that might be expressed by the Member States. I believe that with the time and the maturity that the Agency is gaining every year, this task is becoming more manageable and easier to handle but it will always remain one of the main challenges of our work.

• And the best part of your job at EASO?

The best part of my job at EASO is definitely my team. There is nothing more inspiring and motivating than working with people who love their work, and who first expect the highest performance from themselves and only then from others. I see each of my team members fully devoted to their tasks as trainers. They have a very good understanding of the importance of the trainer’s role as well as the responsibility that this role brings. Our in-house trainers have a direct influence on shaping national trainers, especially now, when majority of EASO Train-the-Trainer sessions is delivered directly by them. This, in turn, is one of the main ways through which EASO can ensure a harmonized implementation of the CEAS across all the MS.

I have the privilege to work in a team which is very supportive, positive and solution oriented. This applies to the whole Centre. I can be only grateful that I was so lucky 😊

• What do you like doing during your free time?

I must say that with the pandemic the ways I spend my free time changed a lot... Now I learned how to enjoy spending time at home just cooking, watching a good movie or reading a book. Now again we can finally follow some sport tournaments, which I definitely prefer over watching movies 😊 I am a huge volleyball fan, and it was actually a very exciting weekend during which the Polish male volleyball team won the silver medal in the Nations League 2021!! Now let’s see how EURO 2020 will progress and then we have the Olympics! 😉

I also cannot wait to come back to the “old” habits, which included regular travelling as well as dinners with friends and extended family members!

• How would you describe the work of EASO in 3 sentences?

It is a job, which is very fulfilling. It gives a clear purpose and at the same time I feel that I learn something new every single day. This last element is amazing as it is quite challenging to find a job in which you can both feel comfortable and learn something all the time!

• How do you balance your career and family?

I think that we all have similar problem and balancing the two might be a struggle. I believe that the key here is to have an understanding partner as well as some basic rules which you always try to follow. Already some time ago I promised myself that I will do my best not to work during weekends. Our extended working hours during the week should be enough to handle the main tasks we have on our plates. Obviously, this approach does not always work but when it does, the start of the new week is much easier indeed! 😊