Polish president signs Ukrainian refugee aid bill for last time
Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a law on payments to refugees from Ukraine (Photo: REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa)
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has signed a bill providing aid to Ukrainian refugees for the last time, Interia Wydarzenia reported on Nov. 14.
Support for Ukrainians in Poland must balance responsibility with equal treatment for all national minorities, he said.
"I don't want to be the president of chaos, so I signed the second version of the law on aid to Ukrainians, but I did it for the last time," said Nawrocki.
The original version included provisions for benefits for over 800 Ukrainians not working in Poland, which he views as unfair to Poles.
"I believe the Ukrainian minority in Poland, which has been experiencing the third year since the war began, should be treated with due responsibility, of course, but the same as all other national minorities in Poland," Nawrocki added.
He expressed hope that the government will develop solutions ensuring proper stays for Ukrainian citizens in Poland after March 2026.
The law, passed by Poland's Sejm in September 2025, extends the legal status of Ukrainians' stay in Poland until March 4, 2026, but tightens conditions for financial aid.
From now on, social benefits will be available only to Ukrainians officially employed in Poland whose children attend local schools. An exception is made for families raising children with disabilities. Unemployed Ukrainians will lose eligibility for several benefits.
On Nov. 7, the Sejm rejected an alternative bill from President Nawrocki on aid for Ukrainian refugees, which he submitted after vetoing the government's project to extend 800+ payments.
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