The findings of the survey by pollster CBOS reveal a trend of declining support for people fleeing the war that began in 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The percentage in favor of accepting refugees from Ukraine is at its lowest level (48%) since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, while the proportion of those opposed is at its highest, at 45%.
Support for accepting refugees was lower among women (43%) than men (52%) as well as among younger pollees. Of the youngest age group (18–24), only 21% were in favor while 51% of the oldest respondents (65+) expressed support.
I’d be willing to support unconditional benefits for all Ukrainian women, children, elderly and infirm as long as all male Ukrainians go back to Ukraine to protect their country.
Exactly. Why would the country facing the biggest demographic crisis in the EU want thousands of working age productive migrants from a similar culture and language to arrive.
Wait a minute …
I agree. And Poles also should work to get their benefits.
Same as Poles xD
Most poles vote for Nawrocki so… um…yeah, about that.
It’s not stupid to have a path towards productivity, but there’s a danger in making it too symbolic.
It has to be balanced so that the refugees doesn’t sit around and settle into long term isolation or dependence. It has to be balanced to not give huge competition. It would be reasonable to give talent a way to thrive.
The work has to be needed, has to be reasonable and worth while.
Everyone who wants benefits should work. We may extra help those who want to do that.
As Ukrainian, I agree. Welfare destructs society.
Legit question. Im a bit uninformed. What benefits are Ukrainians receiving? I remember when they first came to Poland, they received free housing, but that program ended a while back
I mean, how it is possible to survive in Poland not working? Asking as an Ukrainian. I think even having single working person in family in Poland seems to be extremely challenging unless it’s IT or similar high wage job.
I have to work for mine, so they too
Well… It seems for me that most of them already do.
Seeing how they all have the right to work this is fair. Ukrainian refugees in Poland are not the same as African refugees in Germany who do not have the right to work and have to rely on social support.
I also have to work for my money.
Genuine question: what even are the benefits in Poland?
I knew a couple single moms, who were weighting going to countries with some support or lower taxes for their sphere of job, and I didn’t really hear Poland in the list.
That said, private education in Poland is popular.
I thought that’s how it works.
Unless they got sponsored extra because of war or something.
At least regular refugees have to work (just as poles) to get benefits.
I think everyone should work for benefits, whether they are citizens or not. If you can work and choose not to then you shouldn’t get benefits. If you are disabled though then it is a different story.
As should everyone capable, as a society by all means we should take care of sick and needy, when every contributes things don’t go dry
They do
This ignores one thing. At least form the people I talked with it’s not that they want them to get here and start working. Most want them to have a year or two to get a grip but after that they have to show that they are doing something and not just munching off. There is also a distinction between kids and adults obviously.
I’m Ukrainian and currently living in Poland, working in IT. (Not taking any help, just paying taxes only mode))
Honestly, I don’t even know anyone who lives here without working — I’m not sure what people are talking about.
Those who truly needed social assistance mostly went to countries like Germany and others, since in Poland there aren’t really any significant benefits apart from the child allowance.
It seems to me this is just a popular topic that stirs up emotions in society, nothing more.
No offense intended — I’m sincerely grateful to Poland for its help and solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainians.
But it’s a bit funny — I keep seeing these discussions on Reddit and Twitter.
It’s as if someone convinced people that Poland is some kind of social welfare paradise and that Ukrainians are living off it.
In reality, far more time and energy have been spent discussing this issue than any actual aid for refugees that’s been received or provided.
It would be great, if so much attention woud be paid to the work of local authorities(urzhad), because the process of issuance of legal documents to people who live here legally and pay taxes is awful.
it’s somehow strange to pay taxes/big zus etc and feel like garbage, waiting for a card for a whole year).
Same about free healthcare, idk, havent visited it. Just as all colleagues and friends from ukraine we”re visiting private one(such as luxmed etc). Maybe its popular in poor part of society, here i cannot comment this case
Imao
It’s so silly, people don’t realise this would give more leverage to employers. You don’t like us mobbing you? Go ahead and leave, you sure won’t mind having no child benefits.
Employers will lower the offered wages, because people will take any job just to get those benefits back. A lose-lose situation for the working class.
No i szambo wybiło, jak spodziewałem sie.
I’m employed by the Polish company. May I kindly inquire what kind of benefits I’m supposedly receiving? Or could receive?
The benefit of 40%+ income tax, one of the highest in EU for my level of gross income (not very high)?
The benefit of 7-8% mortgage, one of the highest in EU?
The benefit of paying possible highest prices for electronics out of all western countries in the world?
The benefit of having to pay import tax on my private car a second time, on the order of 40% of the car ideal estimate cost (nowhere near the market price)?
The benefit of waiting more than a year for a chance to get a work permit on a blue card program, after already getting one such permit (I’m prepping docs right now, and will receive a new card no sooner than winter 2027 IF all goes well, best case scenario), possibly one the longest legal processes in EU?
Or maybe a benefit of doing all that, while constantly watching termins for a citizenship application increase and increase, from 8 years to 11 years, and now there is a law proposal to make that approximately 17 years, which would be one of the longest waits in EU?
I’m just curious, which benefits are we talking about here? Maybe I’m missing out on something?
Do Poles think this should apply to all Ukrainian refugees, because some will inevitably be unable to work for fairly obvious reasons. I’m asking because here in Denmark more than 80% of Ukrainians deemed fit for work are employed. The biggest obstacle here is language, but there’s no other group of refugees/immigrants more willing to integrate and “earn” their keep. Not by a long shot.
I’m not being judgmental, I’m just fairly perplexed by the widespread anti-Ukrainian sentiment I hear from Poland. Are there historical reasons contributing to the seeming animosity?
26 comments
The findings of the survey by pollster CBOS reveal a trend of declining support for people fleeing the war that began in 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The percentage in favor of accepting refugees from Ukraine is at its lowest level (48%) since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, while the proportion of those opposed is at its highest, at 45%.
Support for accepting refugees was lower among women (43%) than men (52%) as well as among younger pollees. Of the youngest age group (18–24), only 21% were in favor while 51% of the oldest respondents (65+) expressed support.
I’d be willing to support unconditional benefits for all Ukrainian women, children, elderly and infirm as long as all male Ukrainians go back to Ukraine to protect their country.
Exactly. Why would the country facing the biggest demographic crisis in the EU want thousands of working age productive migrants from a similar culture and language to arrive.
Wait a minute …
I agree. And Poles also should work to get their benefits.
Same as Poles xD
Most poles vote for Nawrocki so… um…yeah, about that.
It’s not stupid to have a path towards productivity, but there’s a danger in making it too symbolic.
It has to be balanced so that the refugees doesn’t sit around and settle into long term isolation or dependence. It has to be balanced to not give huge competition. It would be reasonable to give talent a way to thrive.
The work has to be needed, has to be reasonable and worth while.
Everyone who wants benefits should work. We may extra help those who want to do that.
As Ukrainian, I agree. Welfare destructs society.
Legit question. Im a bit uninformed. What benefits are Ukrainians receiving? I remember when they first came to Poland, they received free housing, but that program ended a while back
I mean, how it is possible to survive in Poland not working? Asking as an Ukrainian. I think even having single working person in family in Poland seems to be extremely challenging unless it’s IT or similar high wage job.
I have to work for mine, so they too
Well… It seems for me that most of them already do.
Seeing how they all have the right to work this is fair. Ukrainian refugees in Poland are not the same as African refugees in Germany who do not have the right to work and have to rely on social support.
I also have to work for my money.
Genuine question: what even are the benefits in Poland?
I knew a couple single moms, who were weighting going to countries with some support or lower taxes for their sphere of job, and I didn’t really hear Poland in the list.
That said, private education in Poland is popular.
I thought that’s how it works.
Unless they got sponsored extra because of war or something.
At least regular refugees have to work (just as poles) to get benefits.
I think everyone should work for benefits, whether they are citizens or not. If you can work and choose not to then you shouldn’t get benefits. If you are disabled though then it is a different story.
As should everyone capable, as a society by all means we should take care of sick and needy, when every contributes things don’t go dry
They do
This ignores one thing. At least form the people I talked with it’s not that they want them to get here and start working. Most want them to have a year or two to get a grip but after that they have to show that they are doing something and not just munching off. There is also a distinction between kids and adults obviously.
I’m Ukrainian and currently living in Poland, working in IT. (Not taking any help, just paying taxes only mode))
Honestly, I don’t even know anyone who lives here without working — I’m not sure what people are talking about.
Those who truly needed social assistance mostly went to countries like Germany and others, since in Poland there aren’t really any significant benefits apart from the child allowance.
It seems to me this is just a popular topic that stirs up emotions in society, nothing more.
No offense intended — I’m sincerely grateful to Poland for its help and solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainians.
But it’s a bit funny — I keep seeing these discussions on Reddit and Twitter.
It’s as if someone convinced people that Poland is some kind of social welfare paradise and that Ukrainians are living off it.
In reality, far more time and energy have been spent discussing this issue than any actual aid for refugees that’s been received or provided.
It would be great, if so much attention woud be paid to the work of local authorities(urzhad), because the process of issuance of legal documents to people who live here legally and pay taxes is awful.
it’s somehow strange to pay taxes/big zus etc and feel like garbage, waiting for a card for a whole year).
Same about free healthcare, idk, havent visited it. Just as all colleagues and friends from ukraine we”re visiting private one(such as luxmed etc). Maybe its popular in poor part of society, here i cannot comment this case
Imao
It’s so silly, people don’t realise this would give more leverage to employers. You don’t like us mobbing you? Go ahead and leave, you sure won’t mind having no child benefits.
Employers will lower the offered wages, because people will take any job just to get those benefits back. A lose-lose situation for the working class.
No i szambo wybiło, jak spodziewałem sie.
I’m employed by the Polish company. May I kindly inquire what kind of benefits I’m supposedly receiving? Or could receive?
The benefit of 40%+ income tax, one of the highest in EU for my level of gross income (not very high)?
The benefit of 7-8% mortgage, one of the highest in EU?
The benefit of paying possible highest prices for electronics out of all western countries in the world?
The benefit of having to pay import tax on my private car a second time, on the order of 40% of the car ideal estimate cost (nowhere near the market price)?
The benefit of waiting more than a year for a chance to get a work permit on a blue card program, after already getting one such permit (I’m prepping docs right now, and will receive a new card no sooner than winter 2027 IF all goes well, best case scenario), possibly one the longest legal processes in EU?
Or maybe a benefit of doing all that, while constantly watching termins for a citizenship application increase and increase, from 8 years to 11 years, and now there is a law proposal to make that approximately 17 years, which would be one of the longest waits in EU?
I’m just curious, which benefits are we talking about here? Maybe I’m missing out on something?
Do Poles think this should apply to all Ukrainian refugees, because some will inevitably be unable to work for fairly obvious reasons. I’m asking because here in Denmark more than 80% of Ukrainians deemed fit for work are employed. The biggest obstacle here is language, but there’s no other group of refugees/immigrants more willing to integrate and “earn” their keep. Not by a long shot.
I’m not being judgmental, I’m just fairly perplexed by the widespread anti-Ukrainian sentiment I hear from Poland. Are there historical reasons contributing to the seeming animosity?
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