What Happens To Ukrainian Refugees After Entering Poland?

According to the BBC, Ukraine is home to 44 million people. As war raged between Ukraine and Russia in early 2022, AP News reported that over 500,000 people had fled the country in just the first couple of days. Poland, Ukraine's neighbor, had been making preparations to house refugees in the event the situation between the two countries escalated according to ABC News. However, Poland noted that this was the worst-case scenario and desired for any strife to be diffused.

Nonetheless, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 (via CNN). Per Reuters, this news came as decades-long tensions between the two countries came to a head. Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently ordered attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital and largest city. As a result, a wave of refugees headed to the Polish border. Less than a week after the war began, it's believed that more than 280,000 have made their way into Poland, by foot, car, or train. All in all, The United Nations refugee agency believes that 4 million Ukrainians could eventually become refugees (per NBC News).

Poland leaders said they should be prepared for 1 million refugees

A few days before Russia invaded Ukraine, The Guardian wrote that the deputy interior minister of Poland, Maciej Wąsik, said, "We have to be prepared for a wave of up to a million people." It was believed that Poland was expected to receive the largest number of refugees since World War II, according to The Guardian. The Polish government disclosed that they would house Ukrainian refugees in hostels, dorms, sports arenas, and more. Per ABC News, Poland has garnered a reputation for its anti-foreign policies. Nonetheless, they are especially accepting of the Ukrainian people as they are culturally similar.

AP News reports that Ukrainians consider Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova safe places to flee to. However, Poland, more specifically the small town of Przemyśl received the most arrivals in the early days of the Russian invasion. According to The New Republic, Przemyśl is only eight miles away from the Ukrainian border. In addition, there is a direct train from Kyiv to Przemyśl. While some used the border town to flee war-ravaged Ukraine, others used it to enter the country to fight. Besides Ukrainians, it's believed that people from 125 different nationalities that were living in Ukraine were entering Poland. Despite the preparations the country made, the journey from Ukraine to Poland is a difficult feat that can take days under freezing conditions.

The road to Poland

Per CNN, it can take up to 60 hours for Ukrainian refugees to cross into Poland. Besides Przemyśl, some are entering the country through Medyka, a Polish village (via The Guardian). While many are driving to these border towns, the long line to get in is resulting in refugees abandoning their cars and making the trek on foot. One woman, Svetlana Katsi, explained to NBC News that she and her young son got stuck in a 20-hour traffic jam and decided the best option was to walk three hours to Medyka. A majority of these refugees are women and children, as men between the ages of 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine in order to fight the war.

Another woman explained to Aljazeera that, "It was hell," to cross into Poland. NPR notes that some people waited up to 48 hours in line in the frigid Polish weather to enter the country. Per The New Republic, train journeys from Lviv, Ukraine to Przemyśl were taking 26 hours, despite the cities being only 60 miles apart. Refugees explained that even getting on the train was "very scary, and dangerous physically and dangerous mentally" (per AP News). Needless to say, the borders were a site of chaos as thousands of refugees trickled in scared, confused, and exhausted. As of March 2022, Poland was allowing anyone from Ukraine into the country, even without a passport.

The Polish people offer the Ukrainians solidarity

NPR explains that Poland has previously prevented Middle Eastern and African refugees from entering the country. Nonetheless, they freely opened up their borders to Ukrainians as they have a common enemy; Russia. According to The UN Refugee Agency, the Polish locals provided Ukrainians with more than just safety. Some gave rides to different parts of the country and donated clothes, water, food, and other supplies. Toys were given to children and nuns in Medyka even gave out cell phone chargers for the refugees to stay in contact with their loved ones.

NBC News reported Medyka set up stands of food, diapers, and paramedics for incoming refugees. Others told The Times of Israel that they were taken aback by the altruism of the Polish people, as they did not expect so much kindness. Artur Tusinski, the mayor of the Polish town Podkowa Leśna, made a public plea for locals to continue donations in order to house more refugees. He said, "We need to feed all those people. And nobody knows how long this will last." Podkowa Leśna will also be taking in orphanages and enrolling refugee children in their local schools.

Poland could struggle with the influx of refugees

Foreign Policy writes that Poland is perhaps not as ready for the countless numbers of refugees that will make their way into the country as they thought. CNBC reports that Poland specifically stated that they were preparing to house up to one million Ukrainian refugees. However, as the war continues to change, the number of refugees entering Poland could be far larger than that. In 2014, when Russia claimed Crimea, about 1.5 million Ukrainians were displaced. As this war could potentially lead to a full invasion of the country, the repercussions could be catastrophic.

Other neighboring countries, like Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are also preparing for refugees. Per NewsNation, the U.S. sent thousands of troops to Poland to aid in evacuating both U.S. citizens and Ukrainians if needed. Germany also announced that it would help Poland accommodate refugees. However, the country noted that Poland had not yet asked for assistance. Despite this, the consensus remains the same; if millions of Ukrainian refugees leave at the same time, it could potentially be chaotic for Poland and Europe alike.

The future of Ukrainian refugees remains uncertain

The Guardian explains that once the Ukrainian refugees make it to Poland, they are taken to their new temporary accommodations. This could be a hostel, dorm, and more. From there, everything is up in the air. Some refugees are not originally from Ukraine and are foreign students from Ghana, Somalia, and other countries. One person from Ghana said that they were told by Polish authorities that they could stay for two weeks and then they would have to, "eventually renew our request to stay." However, the International Centre for Migration Policy noted that a majority of foreign students were seeking to head back to their home country.

Of course, not all Ukrainian refugees are staying in Poland. Other refugees are going to Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania instead. According to Aljazeera, as of February 26, 2022, 140 countries or territories were allowing Ukrainians in without a visa or with a visa on arrival. One of these countries is Ireland. RTE reports that 143 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the country. That number could eventually be 20,000 as Ireland has stated that they will be able to work and become citizens (via The Irish Times). News Nation writes that a number of refugees are also making their way into the United States.