Poles opposing Ukrainian refugees outnumber supporters for the first time, poll finds
Illustrative photo: A majority of Poles oppose accepting Ukrainian refugees (Getty Images)
For the first time since polling on the issue began, the number of Poles who oppose accepting Ukrainian refugees has exceeded the number who support it, according to a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS), RMF24 reports.
According to the survey, 52% of respondents now believe that Poland should no longer accept Ukrainian refugees, while 42% hold the opposite view.
Researchers noted that this is the first such result since 2014, when CBOS began regularly polling public opinion on the issue following Russia's annexation of Crimea. By comparison, support for accepting Ukrainians among Poles reached a record 94% immediately after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Recent trends show that:
- The share of respondents opposed to accepting refugees has increased by 6 percentage points since December last year;
- The share of supporters has fallen by the same 6 percentage points.
Views on aid and new regulations
The survey also found that a majority of Poles consider the current level of support for Ukrainians excessive. In particular, 54% of respondents said the assistance is too generous, while 40% described it as appropriate and only 3% considered it insufficient.
The report's authors noted that dissatisfaction with the scale of support has been steadily rising since September last year.
At the same time, Poles expressed mixed views on recent legislative changes affecting assistance for Ukrainians. Notably, 87% supported limiting access to the full package of free healthcare services for Ukrainians who do not pay health insurance contributions in Poland, while only 8% opposed the measure.
In addition, 58% opposed ending the right to free accommodation in collective housing centers for mothers with children older than one year, while only 29% supported the restriction.
According to a recent poll, 59.7% of Poles also do not support Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Specifically, 27.4% said they were "rather opposed," while 32.3% stated that they were firmly against such a move.
