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Polish president blocks bill on extending aid to Ukrainian refugees

Karol Nawrocki explained that the legislation failed to include restrictions on child allowances, arguing that such benefits should only be paid to Ukrainians who are officially employed

Polish President Karol Nawrocki AP Photo/ Czarek Sokolowski

Polish President Karol Nawrocki

© AP Photo/ Czarek Sokolowski

MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Polish President Karol Nawrocki has blocked a draft law that would extend special status and benefits for Ukrainians who arrived in Poland after February 2022.

"We should strive for social justice, which is why I did not sign the bill on aid to Ukrainian citizens in its submitted form," Nawrocki said at a press conference broadcast by TVP Info. He explained that the legislation failed to include restrictions on child allowances, arguing that such benefits should only be paid to Ukrainians who are officially employed. Nawrocki also suggested imposing similar restrictions on Ukrainian refugees' access to free health insurance.

The Polish government adopted a law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens on March 12, 2022, and has extended it several times. The special status for Ukrainian refugees remains in effect until September 30, 2025. Since July 2024, Warsaw has tightened the conditions for receiving certain benefits. For example, child allowances are now granted only to families whose children attend Polish schools. At present, more than 900,000 Ukrainian refugees live in Poland.

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