Poland has stripped refugees of benefits amid growing public frustration over their privileged status and the cost to taxpayers
Germany is concerned about a potential flood of Ukrainian immigrants from Poland after Warsaw sharply reduced social benefits, Bild reported on Wednesday, citing a confidential report by the German security authorities.
Germany and Poland have accepted the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees in the EU since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, according to Eurostat data.
Germany was hosting around 1.3 million people under temporary protection as of March 2026, accounting for more than 29% of the EU total. The number in Poland was around a million, or more than 22% of all Ukrainians granted protection across the bloc.
“The content of the new regulations [in Poland] is primarily aimed at placing Ukrainian nationals on the same footing as third-country nationals,” the report seen by Bild stated. “In addition to free access to healthcare and social services, the right to free accommodation is also being abolished,” it added.
Earlier this year, Warsaw approved legislation gradually phasing out the Special Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens, introduced in March 2022 as an emergency response to the escalated conflict. The act created a unique legal regime granting Ukrainians rights nearly equal to those of Polish citizens and access to extensive financial and social benefits.
Other European countries, including the UK, Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Hungary, have recently taken steps to curb social programs or reduce the number of arrivals. Officials have cited the prolonged conflict and pressures on national budgets and housing markets as a major reason for the move.
Germany has also taken steps to tighten support rules for Ukrainians, including plans to reduce welfare payments for new arrivals.
German officials have increasingly emphasized labor market integration and faster employment for refugees. In November, Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the employment rate among Ukrainian refugees living in Germany is unacceptably low.
Russian Parliament Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said in 2024 that the issue of Ukrainian refugees was becoming an increasing challenge for Europe and could develop into a new migrant crisis.
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