These changes, part of amendments to the Law on Aid to Citizens of Ukraine, will see the ending of several financial benefits that have been provided to Ukrainian refugees since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
The new legislation will discontinue the one-time allowance of PLN 300 (EUR 69) for basic living expenses and the daily benefit of PLN 40 (EUR 9) for those providing accommodation and food to Ukrainian citizens.
"More and more people are coming to us with a request: help us after July 1. These are often people who have nothing to return to. Until the outbreak of war, they lived in the zone that is now occupied or in the regions directly bordering the front line," said Igor Horków, chairman of the Przemyśl branch of the Union of Ukrainians in Poland.
Horków highlighted the uncertain future facing many refugees, noting that two to five thousand Ukrainians arrive in Przemyśl daily, mainly from heavily shelled regions such as Kharkiv, Odessa, and Sumy.
Why?
The Polish government has justified the cessation of the daily benefit by citing difficulties in maintaining the integrity of the system. There also were increasing concerns about applications being submitted by Ukrainian citizens for people who were actually family members.
As of May, over 950,000 Ukrainians residing in Poland had an active national identification (PESEL) number, with the UNHCR forecasting that this number will reach 1.1 million by the end of the year.
(jh)
Source: IAR
