Over 90% of Poles support accepting Ukrainian refugees and 64% say they will help personally

Mar 1, 2022 | Society

An overwhelming majority of the Polish public support accepting refugees from Ukraine – where hundreds of thousands of people have been fleeing following the Russian invasion – according to a new poll.

Meanwhile, a separate new survey finds that almost two thirds of people in Poland say they are willing to help refugees personally. Recent days have already seen a flood of support from Polish society for displaced Ukrainians, including mass donations of goods and money as well as offers of accommodation and transport.

Poland has been the primary country to which people have fled from Ukraine since Thursday. Yesterday saw a record number of crossings into Poland, just over 100,000. That brought the total to 350,000 since the Russian invasion.

In a poll conducted on Friday by IBRiS for the Rzeczpospolita daily, Poles were asked what their country should do with Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country. A majority, 58%, said that all refugees should be accepted, while a further 35% said Poland should “accept only those most threatened and in need”.

Marcin Duma, the head of IBRiS, told Rzeczpospolita that, based on more in-depth statements collected in interviews, the latter 35% are generally in favour of accepting “wives, children and mothers and letting the men stop Putin”.

Even before the invasion, in mid-February, a poll conducted by Kantar for the Institute of Public Affairs (ISP), a think tank, found that 56% of Poles supported accepting refugees from Ukraine if war broke out, while 22% were against. That majority held among supporters of every main political party.

Another survey, carried out by IBRiS for Polsat News and published yesterday, asked people in Poland if they are personally willing to help Ukrainians.

Almost 64% said yes (including 37% who said “definitely” and 27% “probably”), while only 10% said no (including 2.5% “definitely” and 7.7% “maybe”). Around a quarter (26%) said they were unsure.

The strongest willingness to help was found among men (70%), the youngest age group of 18-29-year-olds (81%), people in large cities (71%) and those with higher education (73%).

After the influx of refugees began on Thursday, Poland’s government mobilised to assist those arriving. It created reception points at the border and has provided transport and coordinated with local authorities to offer accommodation. It has also set up a website for those needing or wishing to provide help.

Meanwhile, Polish society has rallied to offer support. Hundreds of tonnes of goods have been donated at collection points, to be given to refugees or transported to people still in Ukraine. On Sunday, local authorities in the city of Kraków appealed to people to temporarily stop bringing donations because its warehouses were full.

The Polish Medical Mission (PMM), a humanitarian group, has organised a campaign to collect medical goods for hospitals in Ukraine, which have been running low on certain supplies.

Around 400,000 people have joined a Polish Facebook group called “Help for Ukraine”, where there were 10,000 posts on a single day, notes OKO.press. Dozens of similar local groups in towns and cities across Poland have also been set up to coordinate support.

Private companies have been offering help, including law firms providing free advice and doctors free treatment. More than 100 tech firms have joined a campaign called #TechForUkraine, offering help with coordinating relief efforts, among other things.

In eastern Poland, near the border with Ukraine, a group of businesspeople have paid to rent out two hotels to be used to accommodate Ukrainians for two months. The group, who have chosen to remain unnamed, say they may extend and expand their support, reports Dziennik Wschodni.

Main image credit: Jakub Orzechowski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

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