Wyborcza: Ukrainian refugees in Poland complain about loss of protective status

Ukrainian refugees living in Poland faced the problem of losing their protective status during temporary trips outside the country. The newspaper Wyborcza reports that many Ukrainian refugees receiving social benefits face difficulties in restoring their status after a temporary absence from Poland.

The article tells the story of Ludmila, a refugee who was forced to pay 8,000 zlotys for her son’s medical treatment, despite the fact that she has refugee status and is entitled to free medical care. Ludmila lost her UKR status (status of a foreigner providing temporary protection in the country) due to the fact that she left Poland for a few days to renew her son’s disability documents.

Ukrainian refugees faced with such problems are forced to repeatedly apply to various official bodies to restore their rights and receive state support. Even without leaving Poland, some refugees face losing their benefits. Restoring the necessary documents turns out to be an extremely time-consuming process that requires a lot of effort and time.

Lawyer and human rights ombudsman Marcin Wenzek pointed out shortcomings in the work of the border guard, which could lead to the loss of refugee status. In some cases, border officials forget to enter the date of entry of the refugee into the country, which can lead to undesirable consequences.