Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed support for reducing benefits for refugees and migrants living and working in Poland, including Ukrainians. This proposal was initially introduced by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party.
Although PiS has already submitted its proposal to parliament, Tusk stated that the government would “urgently” review the proposal, which was presented at a rally on Thursday by his party’s presidential candidate and incumbent mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski.
“Today, we still need to support Ukraine. But we cannot make the same mistake as some Western countries like Germany or Sweden, where it is advantageous to come only for social benefits,” the Prime Minister said.
Trzaskowski proposed a “fundamental change” in which Ukrainians would need to work, live, and pay taxes in Poland to receive benefits such as the monthly child allowance of 800 zlotys (190 euros).
Tusk responded to Trzaskowski’s proposal in a post on X, stating that it would be “urgently” considered by the government. “Personally, I support this proposal,” Tusk wrote.
History of the ‘800+’ aid programme
PiS parliamentary leader Mariusz Błaszczak explained that the PiS proposal already submitted limits the ‘800+ programme’ to families working and paying taxes in the country.
In response, Trzaskowski remarked that this showed PiS “sometimes has a little common sense.”
The ‘800+’ benefit is a Polish government programme that provides financial support to families with children. It was introduced by PiS after its 2015 election victory and continued by Tusk’s coalition after it came to power in 2023.
Currently, the programme pays 800 zlotys (190 euros) per month for each child under 18, an increase from the previous 500 zlotys. The benefit is universal, meaning it is not means-tested and is available to all eligible families regardless of income level.
Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the significant influx of war refugees to Poland, the benefit was extended to Ukrainian children.
However, some beneficiaries receive benefits even though they are not permanent residents of Poland. The press often reports on buses travelling from Ukraine to Poland solely to collect the monthly allowance.
Coalition split
The proposal has caused a split within the ruling coalition, with the Left Party strongly opposing it.
“The Left Party will not support this anti-refugee, irrational populism. But Tusk, together with PiS and Confederation, will push it through,” wrote left-wing MEP Anna-Maria Żukowska, referring to the right-wing Confederation party, known for its anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.
Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the social democratic Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, stated that the government had not yet proposed a law on benefits for refugees.
Dziemianowicz-Bąk added that 80 per cent of Ukrainians living in Poland, the majority of whom are women, are employed, describing this as “a phenomenon on an EU scale.”
Meanwhile, starting from the 2024/2025 school year, the payment of the 800+ benefit was linked to school attendance, which, according to the government, reduced the number of beneficiaries by 20,000.
