Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
01.04.2022
The Head of the Polish Government held talks with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It was the second such meeting this year - the first took place on 7 March. The main topic of the talks was aid for refugees from war-torn Ukraine. Since the Russian attack on our eastern neighbour, over 2.4 million people have already arrived in Poland. All those who need help can receive it in our country.
Meeting of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki with Filippo Grandi
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Polish government in assisting refugees from Ukraine. He also stressed UNHCR's full openness to co-operation with the authorities of our country, including in sharing experiences in the organisation of assistance to refugees.
Assistance and support for refugees in Poland
Every day, innocent people are killed in Ukraine and many people, especially women and children, have fled in search of a safe haven, finding it mainly in Poland.
People fleeing the war receive help, among other things, at specially prepared reception points. There are 41 centres throughout Poland in which Ukrainians arriving in Poland can have a meal, receive emergency medical care or a place to rest. It is also a place where they can obtain the most important information about their stay in Poland and a place of temporary accommodation.
Independently of the reception points, an additional 148 information points for foreigners were launched, mainly at train/bus stations as well as voivodeship and municipal offices.
Since the beginning of the conflict, millions of Poles have been involved in helping people fleeing the war. Apart from accommodation places created by central and local authorities, a large number of Ukrainians found shelter in private homes. It would not have been possible to provide assistance on such a large scale if it had not been for this exceptional and widely admired social commitment.
Special systemic measures
On 12 March 2022, on the initiative of the Polish government, the Sejm adopted the Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens in connection with the armed conflict on the territory of that country. It is a set of provisions that enable Ukrainians in Poland, among other things, to:
- take up a job sooner,
- get easier access to health care,
- get access to educational services and higher education,
- receive special financial assistance.
Coordinated action to help people fleeing war
The Polish Government is carrying out extensive coordination activities to help refugees from Ukraine. Our country has become a major humanitarian hub. Through the Government Strategic Reserve Agency, lorries carrying material aid for the inhabitants of the war-torn country cross the Polish-Ukrainian border.
