Warsaw cuts support for Ukrainians staying in Poland

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) – An amendment to an existing act entered into force as of Wednesday according to which Ukrainian refugees living in collective accommodation facilities in Poland whose stay in the country exceeds 120 days will have to cover 50% of the cost of accommodation and meals, or over 40 zlotys (€9) per day

From May 1, refugees whose stay exceeds 180 days will cover 75% of these costs, or over 60 zlotys (€13) per day.

“There are over a million war refugees from Ukraine in Poland. The issue of payment for accommodation in places of collective accommodation concerns 80,000 of them, because so many people live in such places. Similar regulations have been in force since June with regard to those who lived with Polish families,” said Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Pawel Szefernaker, the government plenipotentiary for war refugees from Ukraine, in an interview with Polish news site Interia.

The government said the new regulations were publicly known as early as September 2022, although they only became certain when President Andrzej Duda signed the act on Jan. 23.

“The purpose of this solution is not to leave anyone without a roof over their head,” said Szefernaker.

“We care about getting refugees into work. We also consulted on the changes with migration experts, and they pointed out that it is not good for refugees to permanently stay in places of collective accommodation,” he added.

The new rules do not apply to people who are not legally independent: children up to 18 years of age, people with disabilities, people at retirement age, pregnant women and those bringing up children up to the age of one. Also, mothers or other guardians who take care of three or more minor children alone in Poland do not have to pay fees.