Polish president seeks stricter Ukraine refugee benefit laws

Poland's President Karol Nawrocki has rejected proposed government legislation to extend child benefits to Ukrainian refugees as public sentiment shifts against the policy of providing assistance.

The head of state, who took office earlier this month on a "Poles first "platform after winning an election in spring, said benefits should only go to refugees who are employed in Poland.

"I will not change my mind and I think that (this aid) should be limited only to Ukrainians who are committed to working in Poland," Nawrocki said on Monday.

The veto underscores growing tension between Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-European Union coalition government, which has sought to extend refugee protections and align Poland more closely with European partners.

The president's veto blocks an extension of refugee payments that would have continued until March 2026, beyond their September expiration date.

Currently, Ukrainian refugees receive 180 euros ($210) monthly per child, with an additional 117 euros for second and subsequent children. Poland is estimated to be hosting around 1 million refugees, with 65 percent employed, which is almost double Germany's rate.

Across Europe, Ukrainian refugees observed their nation's Independence Day on Sunday with mixed emotions, reported Euronews. Many cannot return to Ukraine due to destroyed homes, while others confront growing uncertainty in countries where they've sought refuge.

"We remain open to providing assistance to Ukrainian citizens — that hasn't changed," said Nawrocki. "But after three and a half years, our law should be amended."

Nawrocki's call aligns with the conservative nationalist Law and Justice, or PiS, party's stance, which advocates linking refugee benefits to employment status.

The move would pose a major rollback of aid, with critics in government, including Tusk, denouncing it.

The Guardian newspaper reported that while Poland initially welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open arms in 2022, public sentiment has soured despite a National Development Bank study showing refugees contribute more in taxes than they receive in benefits and are vital to economic stability.

Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, one of three deputy prime ministers, said on Monday that Nawrocki's veto of the Ukrainian refugee benefits bill also jeopardizes the legal basis for Poland's funding of Starlink satellite internet for Ukraine.

The original Tusk government bill bundled the two measures together, and vetoing the bill blocks both, even though the issues are unrelated in practice. A spokesperson for Nawrocki told Reuters that Starlink payments could continue beyond Oct 1 only if parliament passes a new presidential bill, which would replace the vetoed law and restore both the welfare provisions and Starlink funding authority by the end of September.

Under Polish law, both the president and government hold mutual veto powers, with each able to block the other's legislative proposals.