Kyiv braces for refugee returns as Poland tightens residency rules
As Poland moves to tighten residency rules for Ukrainian refugees, Kyiv is preparing for a possible surge in returns, with officials stressing the urgent need for a social support system at home
WARSAW – Ukraine cannot ignore Poland’s gradual tightening of residency rules for its citizens, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Vereshchuk warned on Monday, stressing that Kyiv must prepare a social support system for those who decide to return.
Her comments follow Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of legislation that would have prolonged special protection for Ukrainians who fled after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“It particularly affects those who have no possibility of taking up employment,” Vereshchuk told Interfax-Ukraine, adding that returning citizens should “receive appropriate support from the state.”
Both the Polish government and president have now submitted alternative draft laws. The government’s proposal would link the payment of a key child benefit to the parents’ employment status, while Nawrocki’s version goes further, controversially extending the required period of residence before citizenship eligibility from three to ten years.
For Kyiv, the shifting rules highlight the need to prepare for a potential wave of returnees who may no longer be able to maintain legal status in Poland.
