Ukrainian refugees in Poland will receive assistance thanks to a charitable fundraiser
Changes in the Polish system of support for Ukrainian refugees have particularly hit people who do not have a stable income, cannot work due to health conditions, age or loneliness, and are dependent on access to treatment and basic social services. After a gradual revision of the programs introduced at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, some Ukrainians found themselves in a situation where even paying for medical care or the most necessary needs became a problem. Against this background, the Polish Migration Forum Foundation has launched a charity collection, the first funds from which are to be sent early next week.
Who organized the assistance
As reported by Polish Radio, the Polskie Forum Migracyjne foundation is raising funds on the pomagam.pl platform for Ukrainian refugees who have lost some of their support due to changes in Polish legislation. The organization plans to use donations for people who are in the most difficult situation and cannot cover their basic needs on their own.
First of all, assistance should be provided to lonely Ukrainians, sick people, people with disabilities, elderly refugees and those who are unable to work due to objective circumstances. For them, the loss of access to free services through the National Health Fund of Poland was not an administrative change on paper, but a real threat of being left without treatment.
Why some Ukrainians found themselves in a critical situation
During 2024–2025, the Polish authorities gradually reduced certain support programs that had been in place since the start of the full-scale war. The latest changes have affected access to social benefits, healthcare, and living conditions in collective accommodation centers.
These decisions have had the most painful impact on people with low incomes, elderly Ukrainians, people with disabilities, and refugees who are unable to quickly find work. For able-bodied people, adapting to the new rules can mean finding additional income or completing paperwork, while for sick or lonely people it often becomes a matter of survival.
What will the funds raised be used for?
The organizers of the collection explain that the aid should temporarily cover the most urgent needs. First of all, the funds are planned to be used for treatment, payment for medical services, medicines, and basic living expenses for those left without sufficient support.
This format of assistance does not replace systemic protection, but it allows for quick support for people who already need medical care or cannot provide for their minimum daily needs on their own. For some refugees, even short-term financial support can mean the opportunity not to postpone treatment, not to accumulate debts and not to be left alone with problems after the change in the rules.
Ukrainian community raises the issue of protection
The issues of legal protection, social support and the situation of Ukrainians in Poland were also discussed during a meeting between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa and representatives of the local Ukrainian community and diplomats of the embassy. Such meetings are important for fixing the problems that refugees face after the revision of Polish assistance programs.
For Ukrainians who remain in Poland because of the war, access to treatment, clear rules of stay, social support for vulnerable groups and the opportunity to receive legal assistance remain key. The charity collection of the Polish Migration Forum Foundation became the answer to some of these needs, primarily for those people who, after the legislative changes, found themselves in the most vulnerable position.
