Polish president refuses further renewals of aid bill for Ukrainian refugees

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has refused to renew an aid bill granting Ukrainian refugees access to social benefits, Poland's state broadcaster TVP World reported Saturday.

Nawrocki, who signed an amended version of the bill in September after vetoing an earlier draft, said Friday that it was the "last time" he would approve such an extension.

Since the outbreak of the war in 2022, Poland has taken in a large influx of Ukrainian refugees, granting them legal status, the right to work, health care access and a range of social benefits, including a monthly allowance of nearly €200 ($232).

In August, Nawrocki vetoed legislation prolonging financial assistance for Ukrainians and signaled he would seek to restrict their future access to child benefits and health care.

The lower house later amended the bill to address his objections, leading to its signing into law in September.

Emphasizing that he approved the measure only to avoid becoming "the president of chaos," Nawrocki reiterated that he would not sign similar provisions again, arguing that the current rules no longer differentiate sufficiently between Polish citizens and Ukrainians living in the country.

"Today, in the context of Ukrainians in Poland, we are no longer talking about war refugees. (...) Today, after more than three years, we are talking about a Ukrainian minority. That is a fundamental change that must be reflected in state policy," he said.