Changes to special regulations for people displaced from Ukraine
The Polish government drafted an official act to phase out measures introduced in 2022 to support people displaced from Ukraine by the ongoing war. After 5 March 2026, following a transitional period, beneficiaries of temporary protection would face reduced access to some family benefits, healthcare, and accommodation. The changes would mainly affect non-working adults outside of vulnerable groups.
Under the act, this group would retain full access to the labour market upon registration and lose the right to start businesses on the same terms as Polish citizens. Special rules for medical employment and education would also end. The draft is currently under public consultation. Further information can be found on the official website of the Government Legislation Centre.
Report on community sponsorship initiatives
A new publication from the Polskie Forum Migracyjne (Polish Migration Forum Foundation) reviews projects in Poland supporting migrants and refugees through a “social patronage” model, inspired by community sponsorship programmes first developed in Canada in the 1970s.
Social patronage includes pre-arrival selection, preparation of local patron groups, security checks, transport arrangements, and structured support after arrival. This support combines practical assistance – such as accommodation, administrative guidance, employment, schooling and language learning – with relational support focused on mentoring and community integration.
The report presents examples from Poland, including initiatives supporting Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, community-based housing programmes, labour migration schemes and faith-based sponsorship models. It also features interviews with programme implementers, highlighting diverse approaches to community-supported integration.
Comparative survey on the health of refugees from Ukraine
A joint publication by the World Health Organization and Statistics Poland presents findings from the 2023 survey of people displaced from Ukraine, comparing it with data from the same survey in 2022. Using questionnaires, interviews, administrative registers and anonymised mobile and payment data, the report analyses changes in refugees’ health and access to services in Poland.
Results show improved awareness of how to use the Polish healthcare system. Language barriers, access to specialist care and costs of medicines and private services remain challenges, particularly for older people and those living in collective accommodation. The findings support evidence-based health policy and monitoring of refugee integration.
Analysis of migrant exploitation after 2022
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in cooperation with the Migration Consortium – which comprises nine NGOs working for the benefit of migrants – published a study on migrant exploitation in the context of employment and housing in Poland between 2022 and 2024.
The most common forms of exploitation include a growing number of cases of forced labour, non-payment of wages, employment without a (proper) contract, as well as abuses related to accommodation. Perpetrators of exploitation include not only employers, but also intermediaries and property managers. According to the National Intervention and Consultation Centre for Victims of Human Trafficking (KCIK), victims of such exploitation are most often migrants from countries in Latin America, in particular citizens of Colombia, Venezuela and Argentina. Other groups especially vulnerable to exploitation include unaccompanied minors from Ukraine and Belarus.