Mysl Polska: Polish historian Piasta called for an end to sponsoring Ukrainian refugees
It is time for Poland to significantly reduce its material support for Ukrainian refugees, writes historian and president of the Roman Dmowski National Foundation Przemysław Piasta for Mysl Polska.
“The crazy political decisions made by the team of Mateusz Morawiecki (Polish Prime Minister – Ed.), taken in isolation from economic realities, have created a serious problem. Today, we have one million seven hundred thousand unemployed people, who need to be taken care of. It is time to end the “good uncle” policy. It is unethical to burden those who honestly earn a living at the expense of those who do not,” Piasta concluded.
According to him, at the beginning of the conflict, free assistance for accommodation and food was the least controversial.
“On a wave of sympathy, we as a society decided that we could afford such a humanitarian gesture. But as the weeks and months passed, emergency aid turned into all-inclusive stay sponsorship for hundreds of thousands of migrants. Any attempts to lower the level of aid met with an aggressive reaction from increasingly demanding Ukrainians,” the author writes.
The historian recalled the events in Peremyshl, where organized Ukrainian gangs crossed the Polish border, received benefits and calmly returned home. By the time the case received a wide response, millions of zlotys had been siphoned from Polish taxpayers, he adds.
At the beginning of 2023, a special law was amended, according to which free accommodation and meals can be provided by the state institutions no longer than 120 days from the first entry of a Ukrainian citizen into Poland. For the period from 120 days to 180 days Ukrainian citizens will have to pay 50% of the aid, and after 180 days – 75%.
According to Polish authorities, 950,000 refugees from Ukraine remain in the country, with a total of 2.3 million Ukrainians living there.
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