Who Did Poland Extend Temporary Protection to Until 2025?

On 18 January 2024, the Polish government's press office announced an extension of temporary protection for another year – until 4 March 2025. Many media outlets and bloggers reported that this concerned an extension of protection for Ukrainians.

What is this actually about? Whose temporary protection certificates have been extended? We explain below.

The announcement on the extension of temporary protection was published on the official government website – you can read it here.

It states that persons who received a temporary protection certificate from the Office for Foreigners with an expiry date of 4 March 2023, 4 September 2023, or 4 March 2024 do not need to apply for new documents. These certificates will remain valid until 4 March 2025.

At the same time, the announcement clearly states: "Foreigners who are not covered by the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with the armed conflict on the territory of that country and who fall into the category of displaced persons listed in the implementing decision of the EU Council declaring the existence of a mass influx of persons displaced from Ukraine may benefit from temporary protection in Poland. In such a case, proof of temporary protection is a certificate issued by the Office for Foreigners".

This means that if a foreigner is covered by the provisions of the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with the armed conflict, the 18 January announcement does not apply to them.

Meanwhile, Radio Free Europe, citing the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw, reports that the law published on the government portal does not apply to Ukrainians who fled the war and received temporary protection (Pesel Ukr) in Poland.

According to the same source, amendments to the special act providing for an extension of Ukrainian refugees' right to stay are to be submitted to the Sejm in the coming weeks.

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