Poles divided on support for Ukrainian refugees, survey finds
Polish President Karol Nawrocki (Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
Half of Polish citizens believe their country is providing too much assistance to Ukraine, according to a new survey by the Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS) cited by Polsat News on Oct. 9.
The same proportion (50 percent) also opposes accepting Ukrainian refugees.
The poll shows 50 percent of respondents view the scale of aid to Ukraine and Ukrainians in Poland as excessive. A slightly smaller share, 46 percent, considers the assistance appropriate.
Support for hosting Ukrainian refugees has declined for more than a year. Just 48 percent of Poles now back admitting Ukrainians into the country, the lowest level since CBOS began tracking these attitudes in 2014, while 45 percent oppose it, a record high.
Most respondents favor restricting social benefits for Ukrainians. Fifty-eight percent say only Ukrainians who work in Poland and pay taxes should qualify for state assistance programs.
On Sept. 26, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a law tightening state aid for Ukrainian citizens. Under the measure, childcare assistance payments are contingent on one parent’s employment in Poland. “This is the last law President Nawrocki will sign concerning forms of aid to Ukrainian citizens,” Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the presidential chancellery, said at the time.
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