Minister Puda presented the situation related to the movement of refugees to Poland and the scope of aid activities directed by the government to Ukrainian citizens. Since the beginning of the war, our country has already taken more than 2.5 million of Ukrainian citizens.

I appreciate the initiative and speed with which the European Commission has proposed to amend European cohesion policy legislation in the CARE package of measures in response to the challenges of the refugee wave. Although Poland has already allocated the majority of European funds to specific applicants, we are reviewing programs from the current and future financial perspectives that will allow us to support those in need,

said Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy Grzegorz Puda.

I appreciate Commissioner Elisa Ferreira's personal approach in seeking to create a flexible instrument to finance at least part of the aid needs,

he added.

According to the Minister, it is crucial to mobilize new and additional resources to address the social and economic challenges we have faced in less than a month.

The head of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy noted that in the face of significant migration challenges related to the crisis in Ukraine and the integration of refugees, it is crucial to quickly mobilize resources to support member states hosting refugees from Ukraine.

Persons fleeing the war will be able to benefit from support. Our goal is to enable these people to acclimate to Poland, find their place in the community and get a job. We want children who fled the war to find their way into the Polish education system,

Minister Grzegorz Puda said at the meeting.

We call for an easy-to-use instrument that is adapted to the current situation, which will allow to finance activities related to counteracting the effects of the current humanitarian crisis and effectively assist refugees from Ukraine.

Commissioner Elisa Ferreira visited the Korczowa border crossing and the Ukrainian refugee assistance point in Kiev Hall at the border crossing. The meeting at the refugee reception point was attended by the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy and by Podkarpackie Governor Ewa Leniart and Younous Omarjee, chairman of the REGI Commission.

During a meeting at the Marshal's Office with organizations assisting in the Podkarpackie region (including Caritas, PCK, Bank Żywności), experiences and practices in the area of assistance were discussed, and further actions were discussed to help Ukrainians sheltering from warfare in Poland as effectively as possible.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the government has been making efforts so that we can meet the challenge of providing assistance to refugees from Ukraine. Since the beginning of the crisis, the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy has been taking steps to provide broader support to the various entities involved in assisting and to the refugees themselves with the funds available from European funds. One of the aid tools is the so-called CARE package, recently agreed upon in Brussels, which allowed, among other things, the allocation of some of the remaining funds in the 2014-2020 budget. It allows for more flexible use of money from European funds to provide necessary and immediate assistance,

Minister Puda concluded.

The head of the MDFRP added that both Poland and the EU countries that have taken in the biggest number of refugees believe, that the current funds are insufficient. He noted that even greater and more flexible support is needed, allowing the use of funds also from the new EU budget and budget mechanisms used during the pandemic. They could prove invaluable if we have to deal with successive waves of people fleeing the war.