Paweł Szefernaker announced the figures in an interview on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Szefernaker, who is also the government’s pointman for refugees from Ukraine, told public broadcaster Polish Radio: “As of today we have about 1.3 million war refugees from Ukraine staying in Poland.”
He added: “Statistics show that recently more people have been heading for Ukraine, leaving Poland.”
“But we’re also seeing more people migrate within Poland,” the official noted.
400,000 refugees from Ukraine have taken jobs in Poland
Szefernaker said that out of the 600,000 Ukrainian war refugees of working age, included in the state PESEL database, more than 400,000 have taken up legal employment in Poland.
He stressed that “no other migration in the world” has involved so many people “taking jobs overnight” in the country of arrival.
“This is an important aspect, showing that these people are settling in Poland and want to live normally,” the deputy interior minister said.
Law on support for refugees to be amended
Szefernaker also announced that later this month, the government would amend the law on support for war refugees from Ukraine, “to digitise certain processes and reduce waiting times in the many institutions where people fleeing the war settle their administrative matters.”
The legislation, which entered into force in March, grants refugees residence rights and ensures access to education, healthcare and social benefits.
Wednesday is day 203 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Source: PAP, bankier.pl