In Poland, the number of people opposed to accepting refugees from Ukraine has exceeded the number in favor for the first time
In Poland, the number of people opposed to accepting refugees from Ukraine has, for the first time, exceeded the number of those in favor of such a decision. According to a poll by the CBOS Public Opinion Research Center, 52% of respondents believe the country should not accept Ukrainian refugees, while 42% hold the opposite view.
As reported by “European Truth” with reference to RMF24, this is the first such result in the entire history of CBOS surveys, which have been conducted since Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014. Immediately after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, 94% of those surveyed supported accepting refugees.
The authors of the study noted that the shift in attitudes is part of a long-term trend that has been evident since mid-2023. Compared to December of last year, the share of those opposed to accepting refugees increased by 6 percentage points, while the share of supporters decreased by the same amount.
Additionally, 54% of survey participants consider the assistance provided to refugees from Ukraine to be excessive. Another 40% of respondents described such assistance as adequate, while 3% deemed it insufficient. Since last September, the share of those who consider the level of support excessive has increased, while the share of respondents who rate it as adequate has decreased.
Survey participants largely supported restricting access to the full package of medical services for Ukrainians who do not pay health insurance premiums in Poland: 87% were in favor, while 8% were against. At the same time, 58% of those surveyed opposed the elimination of free accommodation in group housing centers for mothers with children over one year of age. This change was supported by 29% of respondents.
