More than 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens live in Poland almost three years after the start of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, DPA reported, BTA reported.
About 988,000 of them are registered as refugees from the war with temporary protection status, a representative of the Ministry of the Interior said at a meeting of the Polish parliament today. This number has been “slowly and steadily increasing“ since June, he added.
It is estimated that 20% of the Ukrainians who arrived in Poland after the start of the war on February 24, 2022, are residing there permanently. About 28% say they have a good command of Polish.
Half of Ukrainians who were already living in Poland before the war started plan to stay permanently, and more than two-thirds say they have a good command of Polish.
The Polish Interior Ministry said that on average 76% of the income of war refugees comes from their own work. According to the ministry, the refugees, who are mainly women, often find work that is below their qualifications.
In Poland, refugees from Ukraine are entitled to child benefits, old-age and disability pensions, as well as free access to the education and healthcare systems, DPA reports. However, they do not receive benefits such as basic income support.