Monday, March 07, 2022

‘They Are Frozen’: Poland Praised for Generous Welcome to 1m Ukrainians

THE GUARDIAN: Volunteers leading response to growing number of people fleeing Russian invasion, as country announces £1.3bn fund for refugees

People wait for transportation after fleeing from Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, on Monday. Photograph: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images

More than 1 million people have crossed from Ukraine into Poland since the Russian invasion began on 24 February, the Polish border guard has said.

Poland, which shares a 310-mile border with Ukraine, has taken in the majority of the 1.7 million people who have left their homes since the war began, with aid efforts largely operated by volunteers, as well as NGOs and municipalities.

“Traffic on the Polish-Ukrainian border is growing, today at 7am, 42,000 people arrived in Poland from Ukraine,” the border guard tweeted on Monday. Most people arriving in Poland have found short-term accommodation provided by citizens and private businesses.

Poland has announced plans to set up an 8bn zloty (£1.34bn) fund for people fleeing Ukraine, including the provision of a one-off payment of 300 zloty (£50) for each refugee. » | Karen McVeigh | Monday, March 7, 2022

Ukrainian refugees, meet Britain’s ‘hostile environment’. We should be ashamed: You could hardly imagine a frostier welcome for these desperate people. The comparison with Europe tells you everything »