Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki caused a storm, clearly declaring his position on the presence of Ukrainian citizens in Poland. In the morning conversation at RMF FM, PiS politician not only supported the initiative of aligning the flag symbols with Nazi and Communist, but went 1 step further, postulating immediate deportation for persons utilizing specified signs. At the same time, Morawiecki referred to the fresh veto of the president of the Republic of Poland towards the law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens, agreeing that the grant of 800 plus should be available only to the working Ukrainians, though with any key exceptions. These declarations point to possible crucial changes in migration and social policy, which could affect thousands of people and affect the Polish budget in the 2025 perspective, putting the current support rules in question.
Instant Deportation for the Bander Symbols. fresh Initiative in Poland
Mateusz Morawiecki, in an interview with RMF FM, clearly supported the initiative of Karol Nawrocki, president of the Institute of National Memory, concerning the alignment of the flag symbols with totalitarian Nazi and Communist symbols. The erstwhile Prime Minister stressed that if specified symbols are used, they should happen ‘immediate deportation’. This is simply a hard position which reflects the increasing social expectations in Poland regarding the unequivocal condemnation of ideology liable for war crimes. The Nawrocki initiative aims at legal regulation of this issue, which in practice would mean the anticipation of a fast and decisive consequence by the State to any manifestation of promoting the OUN-UPA symbolism. specified a legal change would have direct consequences for people residing in Poland who could unconsciously or intentionally usage prohibited signs, risking losing their right of residence. This besides emphasizes the deep historical and social importance which Poland attaches to the memory of victims of totalitarianism.
800+ only for the workers? Presidential veto and fresh terms of benefits
The next key point of Mateusz Morawiecki's message was to support the decision of the president of the Republic of Poland to veto the amendment of the Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens. The president motivated his veto by the fact that the grant of 800 plus should only be granted to Ukrainians who took up work in Poland, which is to guarantee social justice and encourage integration into the labour market. Morawiecki agreed with this principle, pointing out the request to separate between war refugees actively active in the Polish labour marketplace and those who do not work. However, the erstwhile Prime Minister noted that he would have applied an exceptionwhich takes into account the circumstantial life situation. This is about mothers raising respective children whose husband fights in Ukraine. This pragmatic exception aims to defend the most deprived families, providing them with basic support, while at the same time encouraging others to work and self-reliance.
Billion-dollar costs and an urgent request for registration. What's next with the help?
In the discussion on providing 800 plus for non-working Ukrainians, Morawiecki estimated the possible costs for the Polish budget for "billion to 2 billion PLN". He stressed that as the opposition of the Law and Justice organization does not have precise data, but urged the current government to rapidly construct a model for assessing the number of persons receiving benefits. The erstwhile Prime Minister, citing the experience of his government and the improvement of digitalisation (mCitizen, e-booking, e-releases, e-recepts, Online Patient Account), noted that it is not a problem to make an effective strategy for hard registration of people from Ukraine. specified registration is crucial in order to prevent situations where benefits are collected by persons who are not actually resident in Poland or are not authorised, which is simply a burden on public finances and undermines public assurance in the full aid system. The deficiency of transparent data makes it hard to manage and optimize support.
Consequences for Ukrainians in Poland and Polish budget in 2025
Matthew Morawiecki's announcements, supported by the presidential veto and the request for hard registration, signal a possible change of course in politics towards Ukrainian citizens. If these requests are implemented, thousands of Ukrainians in Poland may lose the right to supply 800 plusunless they enter into employment or meet clearly defined peculiar criteria. At the same time, the tightening of the rules on the flag symbolism can lead to immediate deportation, which is simply a clear signal of intolerance for totalitarian ideologies and their promotion on Polish soil. For the Polish budget this would mean possible savings of PLN billion per year, but besides the request to make an effective and equitable verification system. In 2025 Poland can introduce much more stringent and precise rules which will have a real impact on the lives of many people and the shaping of social policy.
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Morawiecki sets conditions for Ukrainians. Instant deportation and the end of 800+ for thousands?
