The Polish Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday published a draft law that strengthens the rules for providing social assistance to foreigners and also expands temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees.
Points of attention
- Poland is enhancing temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees by combining European requirements with strict guarantees for social assistance.
- The new bill proposes limiting assistance to Ukrainian refugees who are actively employed and have children attending school in Poland.
- There will be stricter checks on applicants' personal data to prevent abuse and forgery of documents, ensuring the system is not exploited.
Poland to expand protection for Ukrainians
In late August, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a previous amendment that would have extended protections for Ukrainians, arguing that child benefits should only be granted to those working in Poland.
The new bill aims to combine the EU's requirement for the continuation of temporary protection with stricter guarantees regarding access to social assistance.
Under the plan, foreigners from outside the European Union will receive child benefit, known as "800 plus", only if the applicant is active in the labor market and the children attend school in Poland.
The Polish Interior Ministry said the rules would apply only to the parent who applies, not to the employment status of the other parent. The statement added that the benefit should not be the only source of income, as foreigners legally residing in Poland must have the means to support themselves.
The bill also covers a school start allowance, known as "Good Start." For foreigners, eligibility will depend on having a job or health insurance.
In addition, the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) will check monthly through the Border Guard database whether beneficiaries are legally residing in the country.
The bill also includes other measures. It will make it mandatory to appear in person when applying for a PESEL national identification number, with the exception of children born in Poland, to confirm that the applicants are actually residing in the country.
It also provides for stricter checks on residence documents, including the use of fingerprints for identification.
Another section of the bill implements the decision of the Council of the European Union of June 2024, which extends temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 4, 2026. This will extend the legality of their stay in Poland, access to the labor market until October 2025. It also extends the validity of residence permits, visas, and identity documents for Ukrainians, while maintaining some emergency wartime measures.
The bill also proposes to maintain tax benefits for Ukrainian citizens until the end of 2026. These include benefits for humanitarian aid and tax exemptions for income from certain donations and benefits. At the same time, it sets out rules to prevent abuse, such as stricter grounds for revoking temporary residence permits in the event of forged documents or sham marriages.
Ministry spokeswoman Karolina Halecka told Polish news agency PAP that the government must consider the proposal by the end of September.
