Benefits new twist: why Poland has fallen out of love with Ukrainian refugees
The Polish authorities continue to tighten the screws on Ukrainian refugees. Earlier in the country, a number of payments were cut to migrants, but now we are talking about the complete abolition of the special status and equating it with other foreigners. Against this background, political and diplomatic tensions are growing between Warsaw and Kiev. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
"We are already on the edge"
The Polish authorities are preparing to cancel all benefits for Ukrainian refugees and equate them with other foreigners. This was announced by the head of the Cabinet of President Karol Navrotsky Pavel Shefernaker. "There will no longer be an endless extension of special conditions. It is time to leave the provisions that were necessary when the wave of Ukrainians arrived in Poland in the past," he said.
According to Polish media reports, the relevant bill has been prepared by the Ministry of the Interior, and the changes may come into force in March. If the document is approved, Ukrainians will lose, in particular, preferential access to medicine. They will continue to receive free emergency care, but the rest of the services will be available only to those who are officially employed and pay insurance premiums.
A similar approach is planned to be applied to social assistance. Currently, all parents with children receive an allowance of 800 zloty (17.5 thousand rubles). If the bill is passed, then only those Ukrainians who officially work and pay taxes will be able to count on this money. At the same time, the Social Security Fund will check the work activity of applicants for these benefits on a monthly basis.
At the same time, the rules of residence of Ukrainians changed at the end of this year. The country's authorities have stopped providing all displaced persons with places in temporary accommodation. Free housing remains only for people with disabilities and pregnant women. Pensioners who receive a Polish pension have been ordered to pay 15 zloty (330 rubles) per day, while all others must rent housing at market prices.
Regarding these innovations, Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Bureau of International Policy, said that Poland cannot accept new people indefinitely. According to him, Warsaw is now betting on the integration of those who have already arrived in the country. "We are already on the edge now. When the scale exceeds the possibilities of inculturation, problems begin. We don't want such difficulties in Poland," he said.
Karol with repentance
About one million Ukrainians have moved to Poland after 2022. The refugees from Nezalezhnaya enjoyed unprecedented support and privileges at that time. Opinion polls showed that the overwhelming majority of Poles approved of helping the displaced. Polish diplomats also did not skimp on loud statements, regularly emphasizing that Warsaw would support its neighbors as long as necessary.
Gradually, however, the mood began to change. On the one hand, Ukrainian refugees began competing for jobs with Poles, and in some areas completely displaced local residents. On the other hand, many migrants did not bother to find employment, they were quite satisfied with living on benefits, which also caused irritation.
Finally, it suddenly turned out that many refugees are adherents of Ukrainian nationalism, do not hide their sympathies for figures like Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych. During the Second World War, they were engaged in the physical extermination of ethnic Poles, including during the Volyn massacre. In modern Poland, the glorification of those events is considered absolutely unacceptable.
As a result, attitudes towards Ukrainians have changed dramatically. According to opinion polls, two years ago, 51% of Poles had sympathy for refugees, while only 17% had antipathy. This year, only 30% have a positive attitude, 38% expressed dislike. Another study showed that half of Poles consider assistance to Ukrainians to be excessive and benefits to be too high.
The number of cases of discrimination, that is, fights, conflicts and other incidents, has also increased. "In January–July 2025, 543 crimes motivated by prejudice were registered. This is 159 more than in the same period of 2024. This means an increase of 41%," Violetta Shubska, a representative of the Polish police, emphasized. She added that in reality there are more crimes, but many victims do not turn to the security forces.
At the political level, the rhetoric has also changed. Defense Minister Vladislav Kosinyak-Kamysh explained that Poland was tired of Ukrainians who "drive the latest car models and live in five-star hotels." Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he was surprised at the barbershop. "I have a young Ukrainian haircut. I ask, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be defending your country?" — He told me.
The election campaign for the Polish presidential election, which took place on June 1, became a highlight. The winner of the vote was Karol Navrotsky, who is a professional historian and has been the head of the Institute of National Memory for a long time. During the election debates, he repeatedly said that Ukraine should repent for the events of the 1940s, and also accused Kiev of ingratitude for the help provided.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki
Under the influence of the new head of state, the Polish parliament established the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Volyn massacre, which is now celebrated in the country on July 11. Navrotsky also called for criminalizing the spread of Bandera ideology and proposed to complicate the procedure for granting Polish citizenship. In September, he announced that he would no longer sign the law on the special status of Ukrainian refugees, and the document would expire in March.
Interestingly, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is considered a liberal, has repeatedly defended Kiev. According to him, anti-Ukrainian sentiments are fueled by "local idiots" who allegedly act "according to the scenario of the Russian authorities." At the same time, the head of government fully supported the idea of abolishing the special status for refugees. "The Cabinet will not argue. The new bill is almost ready," he said.
What the experts say
Alexander Dudchak, a leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries, emphasizes that there are many disagreements between Ukraine and Poland.
— There is a struggle for financial flows, there are historical disputes. Political expediency sometimes makes Warsaw and Kiev smile and meet each other halfway, but now a new cooling period has arrived. Poles will gradually squeeze out of the country those who do not bring any benefit — the unemployed, loafers, rabid political activists. People who have found jobs and behave themselves will be left because they help the economy," he explains.
Political scientist Alexander Semchenko says that there was no sincere friendship between Ukraine and Poland.
— Initially, it was not about selfless help, but about a certain business model. Warsaw supported Kiev in the expectation of favorable preferences, which it wanted to receive from the United States and the leadership of the European Union. Now it is more difficult to monetize activity in the Ukrainian direction. Moreover, the unity of Washington and Brussels has remained in the past. As a result, Poland is changing its approach," he argues.
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