2 Jun 2022 14:59

Poland to stop daily payments to Ukrainian refugees of 40 zlotys per person on July 1 - Interior Ministry

MOSCOW. June 2 (Interfax) - Poland's deputy interior minister and the Polish government's envoy for refugees, Pawel Szefernaker, has said that the Polish government on July 1 will cease the daily payments of 40 zlotys (276 hryvni as of June 1) per person to finance Ukrainian refugees' accommodation and meals and expects them to find jobs and to be able to provide for their needs on their own, the Ukrainian media said, citing the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.

"We are convinced that many people in Poland are able to become self-sufficient and to adapt," Szefernaker told TVP Info, adding that, at the same time, benefits will be increased for certain categories of refugees such as "people with disabilities, pregnant women and families with three or more children."

The Polish government's special act on assistance to Ukrainian refugees initially guaranteed such payments for the first 60 days, then extended them for another 60 days a month ago, but there are no plans to prolong them any more, the newspaper said.

"We are paying huge social benefits - ranging from 300 zlotys per person to 500+ zlotys per child, and also other sums that stem from social benefits. Furthermore, we see that a large number of Ukrainians are looking for jobs, find them and cope with everything. We want to encourage others to be as active. In our opinion, the four-month period of total support is quite enough," a Law and Justice Party high-ranking politician told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.

According to Rzeczpospolita, the reason behind the government's decision is the enormous expenses for support of refugees. Specifically, the Silesia region has estimated its current spending on 115,000 refugees at 190 million zlotys a month, of which the daily payments of 40 zlotys per person account for 160 million zlotys.