Ukrainian refugees are caught in the middle of a political fight in Poland
Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, around one million refugees, most of them women and children, have settled in Poland. They’re now at the heart of a political struggle between Donald Tusk’s pro-EU government and the new nationalist President Karol Nawrocki who vetoed a law extending their rights.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki on the 25th of August blocked legislation that would extend rights Ukrainian refugees have in Poland, taking particular exception to child benefits which he said should be paid only to parents with a job.
The law Nawrocki is blocking -- put forward by the country's pro-EU government -- seeks to extend to March 2026 the temporary protection status Ukrainians have in Poland, as well as a number of other measures given to them.
Without an extension, they will expire at the end of September.
Nawrocki, a nationalist, had promised to cut social welfare benefits during the campaign ahead of his election victory on June 1.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticised the veto. But his government does not have the two-thirds majority in parliament needed to overcome the move.
A recent report carried out by consulting firm Deloitte for the UN refugee agency found that Ukrainian refugees have a positive net impact of 2.7 percent on Poland's gross domestic product (GDP).