Poland revokes special status for Ukrainian refugees
A special law for Ukrainian refugees, adopted in 2022, created the most favorable system of their residence in Poland. It made life as simple as possible – it allowed them to quickly obtain documents, work without additional permits, arrange medical care, training and social benefits, writes visitukraine.today.
There will be no mass “deprivation of status” from next month. Ukrainians, whose documents were automatically extended because of the war, retain the right to stay in Poland legally, but they will need to be more attentive to formal procedures. In particular, it is possible to apply for legalization until March 4, 2027.
One of the key innovations is a strict registration rule for new arrivals from Ukraine. Now after entering Poland, they need to apply for PESEL UKR within 30 days. If this is not done: temporary protection is terminated, it is considered a voluntary renunciation of the status and transition to the usual mode of stay of a foreigner. In fact, the former flexibility towards Ukrainians disappears – the system becomes similar to the standard migration system.
Rights to benefits, social payments and work
Polish authorities explicitly state: aid is a support, not a privilege. Under the new rules, access to benefits will be more closely linked to integration. Social benefits will be allocated primarily to those who are officially employed, pay taxes, and whose children attend Polish schools. In this way, Poland incentivizes long-term residence and participation in the economy.
Despite the abolition of the special law, the right to work, medical care and education is preserved. It is not access to opportunities and services that changes, but the legal framework – Ukrainians move from “exclusion” to the standard EU temporary protection system.
The Polish authorities estimate that the country has received at least a third of all internally displaced persons from Ukraine.
Moldova has also become an important channel for the transit and stay of refugees from Ukraine. According to official estimates, 70,000-110,000 Ukrainians have been accommodated in Moldova at various times since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
