From support to annoyance: 88% of Poles oppose further social payments to Ukrainians
When millions of Ukrainians were forced to flee the war in February 2022, Poland became their main refuge. Polish society then demonstrated unprecedented solidarity: people opened the doors of their homes, provided housing, food, and work, and the authorities quickly created aid programs for refugees. During the first months, Polish support was total – the state opened access to social benefits, health insurance, education, subsidized housing and other benefits.
But almost three years have passed, and the mood in Poland has changed significantly. If at first aid to Ukraine was at the level of a national idea, today Polish society is showing more and more weariness with the situation. Economic difficulties, internal political games and the growth of anti-Ukrainian rhetoric have done their job. The latest sociological studies show that 88% of Poles oppose further social payments to Ukrainians. About this writes edition of Rzeczpospolita.
This topic has already become part of the election campaign. Candidate for the President of Poland from Koalicji Obywatelskiej Rafal Tszaskowski proposed to pay aid only to those Ukrainians who work and pay taxes in Poland. Prime Minister Donald Tusk quickly supported this initiative, saying that it will be urgently considered by the government. Tszaskowski explained his proposal simply: support should be given to those who strengthen the Polish economy, not to those who do not participate in it.
From a legal point of view, the Polish state is not obliged to provide financial support to Ukrainian refugees. The “Rodyna 800+” program was introduced as social assistance for all children in Poland, regardless of the citizenship of the parents. It is this payment – 800 zlotys per month for each child under the age of 18 – that is currently causing the greatest outrage in Polish society.
At first glance, this change in attitudes seems cynical, because Ukrainians did not become refugees of their own free will. However, it should be understood that the situation is not black and white. Prices are also rising in Poland, economic problems continue, and part of the population believes that taxpayers’ money should go primarily to support Polish citizens.
In addition, there is another aspect – the political exploitation of the Ukrainian issue. Government parties use the issue of refugees to mobilize their voters. One side promises to “protect the interests of Poland” and stop payments, the other is trying to find a compromise and prevent the social conflict from aggravating.
Another important factor is the attitude towards Ukrainians in Polish society. If at the beginning of the war the Poles definitely supported the refugees, now there are more and more comments about the “challenging behavior of wealthy Ukrainians”, who allegedly enjoy social benefits, but do not work. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamys bluntly stated that his compatriots are “tired of military actions in Ukraine and the behavior of some Ukrainians.”
However, the situation should not be generalized. A significant part of Ukrainians in Poland work, pay taxes and are an active part of the economy. Former Deputy Minister of the Family Bartosz Marchuk drew attention to the fact that in 2023 alone, Ukrainians paid more than 20 billion zlotys in taxes, including pension and health insurance contributions. This is much more than the total amount of social payments to Ukrainian refugees.
Polish authorities are now trying to find a balance between the interests of their citizens and their humanitarian obligations to Ukrainians. The Minister of Family and Labor, Agnieszka Dzemyanovych-Bonk, said that the government will analyze all proposals, and the Marshal of the Seimas, Shimon Holovnia, emphasized that it is not necessary to make unemployed Ukrainian mothers “hostages of the election campaign.”
It is obvious that the question of helping Ukrainian refugees in Poland will no longer be as unconditional as it was in 2022. Support is changing, public attitudes are becoming more pragmatic, and politicians are actively exploiting the topic. However, the main question is whether Polish politicians and voters understand that reducing support for Ukrainians can have the opposite effect – many working Ukrainians may go to Germany, and the economic contribution of refugees to the Polish budget will significantly decrease. Ukraine is waging a war, and Poland remains its main ally and rear. Whether it is worth creating additional social tensions that could undermine this union is a question that Polish society will still have to decide.
