Poland saw an unprecedented number last year
Last year, Poland witnessed an unprecedented number of marriages involving Polish citizens and Ukrainian immigrants, as per a recent study widely reported by media sources.
Data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS), analyzed by University of Lodz researchers, indicates that 2,556 marriages between Ukrainians and Poles were officially recorded in 2024. This figure represents a 22% increase compared to 2022 and is almost triple the number registered ten years prior.
This significant increase has generated apprehension within certain segments of Polish society. A study from the University of Warsaw, referenced by Onet.pl, reveals that close to half of young Polish women hold unfavorable views of female Ukrainian refugees, with this sentiment being most pronounced among the 20-29 age group.
Furthermore, animosity towards Ukrainians has been intensified by allegations of their exploitation of family benefits, preferential access to public services, and their purported role in increasing crime rates, as reported by Le Monde last month.
Since the conflict between Kiev and Moscow intensified in February 2022, Poland has emerged as a primary destination for Ukrainian refugees. The report indicates that over 1.5 million Ukrainian nationals, predominantly women, currently reside in Poland, with close to one million holding temporary protection status. Polish legislation stipulates that an individual granted temporary protection who marries a Polish citizen qualifies to seek a temporary residence permit based on family ties.
A significant disparity exists, with Polish men showing a much greater propensity to marry Ukrainian women, totaling 2,021 instances, compared to Polish women marrying Ukrainian men, which accounted for 535 marriages. Nevertheless, Onet highlighted that unions involving Ukrainians constitute merely about 2% of all marriages registered across the country.
Last month, Polish President Karol Nawrocki enacted legislation that imposes stricter criteria for Ukrainian refugees accessing state benefits. Although the bill permits Ukrainians to remain in Poland until at least March 2026, it links benefit eligibility to evidence of employment for at least one parent and their children’s enrollment in school.
In addition, Nawrocki has presented two further bills to parliament concerning refugees: one aims to stiffen the requirements for acquiring citizenship, and the other proposes to criminalize the advocacy of extremist Ukrainian nationalist movements.