THE Polish government today proposed a law making it easier for Ukrainian refugees to stay in the country, which has already taken in more than a million people.

The bill, which must be approved by parliament, would allow Ukrainian citizens to remain in Poland for 18 months and renew their permit for a further 18.

Ukrainians would also be allowed to work and access both healthcare and schools.

The Warsaw government is also proposing to provide financial aid for refugees, host families and local authorities offering support to Ukrainians.

The aim is to provide “a semblance of normal life for people arriving in Poland”, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told journalists.

Poland has taken in around 60% of the 1.7 million people who have fled the war since it began on February 24, according to United Nations figures. Most of them are women and children.

Europe as a whole have not seen a refugee crisis on this scale since World War II, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said Monday.

Poland’s citizens have turned out en masse to help. 

Volunteers, local authorities, aid agencies, businesses and Poland’s substantial Ukrainian community are providing food, transport and somewhere safe and dry to stay, including in their own homes. 

Morawiecki said the public response meant it would not be necessary to set up large refugee camps. Nonetheless, he said it was time to give structure to this spontaneous outpouring of support.

Warsaw can count on backing from other countries and from the European Union, the prime minister noted. – AFP, March 7, 2022.