Will Ukrainians with Temporary Protection Be Banned from Leaving Poland?

Leave Poland for a single day — and lose your temporary protection. Social media groups and news outlets are full of such reports. Is the "nightmare scenario" Ukrainians have been fearing starting to come true? Gremi Personal looks into where this information comes from and what it actually means.

Bloggers and journalists began discussing the possibility of Polish authorities restricting travel for Ukrainians holding a PESEL UKR number even before the New Year. At the time, the conversation was sparked by an article in the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, which cited Norway as an example of a country that had already taken such steps. More recently, the debate intensified following a publication in the outlet Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. What exactly does that article say?

Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reports on proposed amendments to the special act for Ukrainians benefiting from temporary protection. Who is proposing these restrictions? The proposals were put forward by voivodes (regional governors), who were in turn asked to do so by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. In other words, the Polish ministry decided to consult officials in the voivodeship offices, since they deal directly with Ukrainian refugees and are well aware of the problems, abuses, and "weak points" in the current version of the special act.

What changes to the special act are the voivodes requesting?

1. They propose that Ukrainians who return to Ukraine even for a single day should lose their right to legal residence in Poland. Currently, Ukrainians lose that right only if they leave for more than 30 days. The reasoning behind this proposal is that Ukrainians making such trips do not truly need state assistance or protection, and may even have housing in the relatively safe western regions of Ukraine.
2. At present, each voivodeship maintains a separate register of benefits paid out. This means that, in theory, one family could receive support multiple times — in different voivodeships. To prevent this, the voivodes propose creating a central register that would allow authorities to track and prevent such abuses.
3. It is proposed to remove the provision for a one-time payment of 300 złoty given to new arrivals to cover food, clothing, personal hygiene items, and accommodation. Originally, this benefit was designed to help Ukrainians evacuated from regions with severe security situations who were unable to take essential belongings with them. Today, most people come to Poland with migration already in mind and plan their actions accordingly.
4. The voivodes also call for more thorough verification of payment arrears in collective accommodation centres. Residents of such centres are required to cover 50% of the cost of accommodation and meals, a requirement that is not always met.
5. It is proposed to remove the provision for financial assistance with accommodation and meals for minors and people with disabilities. Equivalent social support is already provided by public administration bodies, which leads to cases of "double funding" — people receiving assistance from both the voivodeships and the social services.

Whether all of these proposals will be adopted remains an open question. Follow the latest updates on the Gremi Personal blog — we always report only verified information and explain its source.

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