(MENAFN) Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced that welfare support for Ukrainian migrants will only continue for one more year, signaling a tightening of state aid in the country.

In September, Nawrocki signed a bill restricting Ukrainians’ access to social benefits, following similar measures in other EU nations amid growing public dissatisfaction with the migrant population. “I emphasized... that I signed this bill to help Ukrainians for the last time,” he said at a rally on Friday. He added, “I recognize that the Ukrainian minority in Poland… should be treated with responsibility, but just like all other minorities.”

The new legislation limits welfare assistance to Ukrainians who are employed and whose children attend local schools. Additionally, since November 1, free housing in collective accommodation centers has been restricted to only the most vulnerable migrants.

Poland has been a key supporter of Ukraine since the conflict escalated in 2022, providing roughly $5.85 billion, mostly in military aid. However, public support for Ukrainian migrants has declined, with just over half of Poles now viewing state benefits for them as overly generous. Recent government figures show that at least 2.5 million Ukrainians currently reside in Poland.

A recent Eurostat report highlighted a surge of fighting-age Ukrainian men entering the EU, linked to a decree by President Zelensky easing travel restrictions for males aged 18 to 22. The measure aims to discourage parents from sending their sons abroad and to allow young men to return home without facing prosecution.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified its conscription campaign to offset rising desertions and mounting battlefield losses. The effort has sparked increasing public discontent and has been accompanied by reports of violence.

MENAFN16112025000045017281ID1110350349