Poland’s support for Ukrainian refugees put to the test as winter sets in

Organizations across Poland are preparing for a new wave of Ukrainian refugees as Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. But some NGOs say they are concerned that newcomers will face a colder reception this winter.

“There is a lot of uncertainty,” said Benjamin Cope, a coordinator at Our Choice, a local NGO that helps Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw.

“Inviting people who escaped from the war, people who don’t know into your home… it’s something you can do once. There’s a certain level of exhaustion. You don’t have the same enthusiasm twice.”

Nearly a year after the Russian invasion, more than eight million Ukrainians have crossed the border into Poland. Some 1.5 million have registered for temporary protection there, according to United Nations Refugee Agency, making Poland one of the most welcoming countries for Ukrainians. Today they represent more than three percent of Poland’s population of 37.8 million people.

But as winter approaches, Poland, like many European countries, faces higher energy prices and costs – a situation that can create tensions between host and refugee communities, making it harder for Ukrainians to find homes with families they left behind when they fled the war. .

WATCH | Ukrainians prepare for the cold season:

‘It’s harder for Poles to provide for themselves’

“It began to become more difficult for the Poles to provide for themselves, [even] without additional guest hosting. Currently, not many people are hosting Ukrainian refugees… The host community also needs support. So we have to be careful that the support is balanced for both groups and does not cause other problems,” said Weronika Zeżutka-Wróblewska, from the Polish section of the International Rescue Committee.

The Polish government wants to reduce the cost impact of new refugees. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki recently said that he wants “the system to be prepared so that Polish taxpayers will have to pay a little for the next wave.”

At the end of November, Poland approved the change to aid law for Ukrainian refugees. From March 2023, people staying in state accommodation for more than 120 days will be charged 50 percent of the cost of living. After 180 days it will be 75 percent.

Some exceptions will apply, but the change worries NGOs, who claim it will directly affect the most vulnerable.

“The group that has been living in the center of residence for a long time, precisely the group with the most difficulty finding somewhere else to live. Asking people to pay does not seem like a fruitful solution,” said Cope.

The Polish government did not respond to a request for comment from CBC News.

Poland’s housing crisis

“Both situations are difficult,” said Yulia Kostereva, a Ukrainian who has been living in Warsaw since March, referring to her partner who had to stay in Kyiv.

“Staying here is difficult because the prices are increasing, but at least you’re in a warm place with electricity,” he said.

After taking refuge in a basement in Kyiv for the first 10 days of the war, he fled with his mother to Lviv, then to Warsaw. The work is now providing accommodation, but will be completed in a few weeks. Without home security, she said she is more concerned about her future.

“I’m trying to make some plans, but my future is unclear.”

Poland and its capital Warsaw are dealing, like many other European countries, with a housing crisiswhich has added even more challenges for Ukrainians looking for long-term accommodation. Studies suggest the country is short of more than two million houses.

In March, the Polish government funded a temporary shelter at the Warsaw Expo Conference Center in response to the influx of new arrivals. More than 1,000 Ukrainians live there, in privacy and comfort. Some will stay only for a few days, but others have been there since the beginning of the war, according to the representative of the voivode (similar to the province).

“We can still find a place, but not necessarily in big cities. Some refugees have children in school or find jobs, so they want to stay around Warsaw. It’s a big problem,” said Cope.

Our Choice NGO works to help Ukrainian immigrants to start a new life in Poland. Currently, he helps refugees with the Ukrainian House project, which, among other aspects, provides an online platform to match Ukrainians with housing options.

Valeriia Shakhunova, who works for the project, said she has helped more than 10,000 refugees find a place to live since February. But he insists he can’t do it alone.

“We are only NGOs. We cannot do everything. It must be done by the government. Then all NGOs can help each other and cooperate,” said Shakhunova.

Between hope and perseverance

Housing is just one of the challenges facing Ukrainian newcomers. Job-related skills, finding childcare and other language barriers.

“He had to leave the country and didn’t know Polish. It was difficult for him. He didn’t feel like he could go anywhere and do anything by himself,” Shakhunova said.

The majority of Ukrainian refugees in Poland are women and children, according to a report from the Council of Europeand many still have relatives in Ukraine.

“They feel tired, they don’t know what to do, they feel sad and they don’t know who they really are,” said Inna Chapko, a Ukrainian psychologist who also fled Kyiv for Poland a few weeks after the war. started.

Like him, many Ukrainians have left everything behind, sometimes arriving in Poland with small backpacks. Since May, Chapko has used his escape from the war and his past professional experience with refugees from Donetsk to help other refugees at a center established by UNHCR in Warsaw.

“It’s a situation that lasts longer than we expected at the beginning, so sometimes when we know that it’s not the end, that the war doesn’t stop this year, we feel mixed up,” he said.

The demand for psychological support is high, he said, and can be for a variety of situations, such as a family death, loss of a home, or occupational trauma.

“Evacuation causes a lot of family problems. Mothers with their children do not want to leave the place or husbands of the family. Even if the decision is to move to another country like Poland, they do not agree with this decision.”

Like many other Ukrainians, Kostereva decided not to move to another European country, because she had already thought about how Ukraine would rebuild.

“I chose Poland because it is close to Ukraine. So I will be useful after the war is over.”

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