The President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, has signed a new law that abolishes special measures that previously provided support to Ukrainian refugees and transfers these mechanisms into the general law on the protection of foreigners.
As stated in the official announcement, this law cancels the emergency measures introduced in the past and establishes unified rules for providing assistance to foreigners.
The statement emphasizes: "Support — yes. Privileges at the expense of Poles — no."
Earlier, in 2022, a special law was adopted to assist Ukrainians, which created simplified conditions for residence, work, social benefits, and access to education. The new law envisions a gradual phasing out of this system, while the main support mechanisms will be integrated with the general provisions of the law on the protection of foreigners.
In particular, social benefits will now depend on employment in Poland and mandatory school attendance for children. To legalize their stay, Ukrainians will be able to apply for a residence permit valid for three years.
Additionally, the signed law extends the legal stay in Poland for Ukrainian citizens who arrived due to the war until March 4, 2027. An important new requirement is to apply for a PESEL identification number within 30 days of entering the country.
