War refugees from Ukraine in Poland – one year after the Russian aggression. Socioeconomic consequences and challenges

Abstract

AbstractRussia's aggression against Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022, marked the beginning of the second stage of the war between the two countries. As a result, more than 8 million war refugees from Ukraine crossed the borders of Poland. At the end of December 2022, more than 1 million of them still remained in Poland. This paper analyses the situation of Ukrainian war refugees residing in Poland and the challenges involved. In particular, it focuses on the labour market, area on which the success of the integration process of foreigners into the host society largely depends. The authors refer to a set of available register data (border crossings, ID registration system, labour market participation and participation in the schooling system), as well as information obtained by large‐scale surveys targeting the Ukrainian population in Poland in wartime. On this basis, we formulate key conclusions and recommendations, both for the Polish authorities and for the EU institutions.