Poland’s interior ministry tackles Ukrainians’ status after Nawrocki’s veto
Ukraine’s Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar at a meeting with Polish colleagues (Photo: facebook.com/AmbasadaUkrainywPolsce)
Poland’s Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Maciej Duszczyk, met with Ukraine’s Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar to discuss the legal status of Ukrainians following the Polish president’s veto of the relevant law, states Interior Ministry spokesperson Karolina Galęcka.
According to her, during the meeting, Duszczyk informed the ambassador that the Polish side is working on a draft law to regulate the legal status of Ukrainian citizens.
“He also presented the Ukrainian side with the timeline for work on the bill,” Galęcka added.
Thus, she was responding to a post by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar. He wrote that, according to the Polish side, the rights of Ukrainians to stay, work, education, as well as social and medical assistance in Poland will be guaranteed even after October 1, 2025. However, certain practical issues will require clarification.
“Ukrainian citizens who are legally residing in Poland will continue to remain within the legal framework of this country in particular, and of the EU in general. Even in the absence of a new law, transitional measures will be adopted to avoid a legal vacuum,” the ambassador wrote on Facebook.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s veto on aid for Ukrainians
As a reminder, Nawrocki recently vetoed a law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens, arguing that benefits such as the 800-plus program and free medical services should be provided exclusively to Ukrainians who are employed in Poland.
In addition, the vetoed bill included temporary protection for Ukrainians who arrived in Poland after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Current regulations guarantee them temporary protection until the end of September 2025. After that, Ukrainians will face, among other things, difficulties with legal employment.
