
Poland both welcomes Ukrainian refugees, setting an example of hospitality, and keeps pushing Iraqis, Syrians, Yemenis and Afghanis back to Belorussian forest
Małgorzata Kulbaczewska-Figat
Almost two months have passed since Putin’s Russia waged war on Ukraine. On the very first day of fighting, the Polish government declared the Polish-Ukrainian border open for refugees and set up first reception centers. What happened next was one of the most, if not the most heart-warming episodes in the 33-year long history of the Third Polish Republic: ordinary citizens rushed to support the refugees. The NGOs and local authorities set up information booths at bus and train stations. People welcomed Ukrainians at their own homes. Schools, museums and cultural centers organized activities for refugee children. The parliament quickly voted for a special law allowing Ukrainians to register and start working immediately. Public space was filled with Ukrainian flags and solidarity emblems – in both big cities and small towns. Even memories of darker moments of the common history seem to fade away: at the moment, the absolute majority of Poles agrees that it was Ukraine which fell victim to Russian aggression, and that Ukrainians need, and should receive, our help.
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