Polish President takes ‘strong’ action against Ukrainians, sparking heated debate and raising questions about regional tensions and future relations.
Poland’s support for 900,000 Ukrainian refugees is shaken after new decisions by Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
Nawrocki blocks bill that would benefit Ukrainians
On August 25, Polish President Nawrocki blocked a bill to extend the special legal status and benefits for Ukrainians visiting Poland beyond February 2022.
“I believe that we must move towards social justice. Poles in this country should be treated at least equally with guests from Ukraine. Therefore, I will not sign the bill to support Ukrainians as it has been submitted,” Nawrocki said in a televised speech.
According to Nawrocki, the new bill does not set limits on subsidies for Ukrainian families with young children. President Nawrocki also believes that this subsidy should only be available to Ukrainians with official jobs in Poland.
As for Ukrainians’ access to free health insurance, Nawrocki believes that there should also be limits.
According to TASS, on March 12, 2022, the Polish government passed a law supporting Ukrainians and then extended it several times. The support regulations for Ukrainians in Poland are valid until September 30, 2025.
On the same day, Mr. Nawrocki also proposed to limit some benefits for Ukrainians in Poland and proposed to ban the honor of Stepan Bandera (1909 – 1959) – a Ukrainian politician who had committed anti-Polish acts.
According to TASS, there are about 900,000 Ukrainian refugees living in Poland.