Polish people urge other countries to share Poland's refugee burden

By Huseyingulu Huseyinzade

WARSAW (AA) - People in Poland, the country most affected by the refugee crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine, think their country alone cannot cope with the rising number of refugees, saying other countries should also shoulder the burden.

Yana Bazhychka, an immigration consultant in the country, told Anadolu Agency that the refugee crisis will become more severe in Poland in a few months.

“As I have observed, the Polish people, who are not in good financial condition, have begun to show their anger although they want to help the Ukrainians. They are tired,” she stressed.

Urging other countries to share Poland’s burden, Bazhychka said: “It is impossible to keep millions of Ukrainians in Poland because their needs must be met and adequate living conditions must be provided.”

She said Poland will not experience war as it is a member of NATO, and the war requires a large amount of money.

“Russia will not risk war with NATO countries,” she noted.

“If the EU allocates funds and sends money to Poland for Ukrainian refugees, then Poland can cope with the refugees,” she emphasized.

- ‘Poland will need support to help refugees’

Joanna Zakrzewska, a Polish economist, said: "I am very glad that Poland has opened its borders for Ukrainians in the face of the great tragedy facing Ukraine.”

Expressing concerns about the high number of refugees, she said: “Poland will need support to financially cope with a large number of Ukrainian refugees."

“The fact that a very high number of Ukrainian refugees are in our country proves how safe Poland is for them. I am very proud of Poland and its people," she underlined.

"Everyone in Poland feels safe," Zakrzewska said, stressing she was not worried at all about the war spreading over into Poland.

“Ukrainian refugees arriving in Poland also feel at home in Poland. I think nothing will happen to Poland,” she added.

- Real impact to be seen in future

Karalina Komar, who works as a Turkologist in Poland, also said she has experienced such a crisis for the first time in the country, adding that though Polish people want to help Ukrainian refugees, they are concerned about the handling of the crisis.

She mentioned that “priority is given to refugees in matters such as the sale of houses,” adding that she actually finds this fair as the Ukrainian refugees “really need to be helped.”

“I believe that in time, everything will be fine. Right now, we have to use all our strength to support them,” she stressed.

The real impact of the refugee crisis will be seen in the future, Komar noted, adding: “It is a little difficult to make predictions, as a large number of Ukrainians are still coming to the country.”

According to the UN refugee agency, the largest number of crossings from Ukraine was to Poland. It is noted that there are already more than 2.2 million refugees in the country.

Poland on Wednesday also sought €2.2 billion ($2.4 billion) from the EU to cover the accommodation and care expenses of Ukrainian refugees.

Speaking to a Polish public broadcaster, country’s Deputy Interior Minister Blazej Pobozy said the EU should not delay assisting Poland with refugee funding.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the EU, US, and the UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,232 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 1,935 injured, according to estimates by the UN, which cautioned that the true figure is likely far higher.

More than 4 million Ukrainians have also fled to several European countries, with millions more displaced inside the country, the UN refugee agency said.

*Writing by Merve Berker in Ankara.