Poland has cut funding for Ukrainian refugees in half this month, with the country no longer able to afford to fund their accommodation in the country at the same rate despite funding from the European Union.
As of the start of March, Ukrainians will have to cover half of the costs of their shared accommodation, capped at about 8.50 euros per day (~£7.50/$9.00) if they stay in the country for more than 120 days.
Poland initially announced the policy in December, being criticised by humanitarian groups who argued it may force people to become homeless.
From May, refugees will also be made to account for 75 per cent of their accommodation costs if they have been in the country more than 180 days, which will be capped at around 13 euros per day (£11.50/$13.80) — with children, pregnant women, single parents, parents with children under 12, and the elderly being exempt, Euractiv reports.
Ukrainian refugees are also given various other benefits, including free access to healthcare and public transport as well as a child subsidy.
The European Union has given the country 123 million euros under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and received 200 million euros from the “Stand Up for Ukraine” fundraiser last year, but the money is simply not enough, with Poland spending an estimated 8.36 billion euros on Ukrainian refugees last year.
The European Commission has reacted to the policy negatively, having previously told the Polish government not to make refugees pay for their own accommodations.
“The Commission is closely monitoring the situation in Poland and is in regular contact with the Polish authorities concerning the practical implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive to ensure that relevant safeguards are in place regarding accommodation of displaced people under temporary protection,” a spokesman said.
The Commission added that it was open to providing more funds to Poland to help pay for refugee costs, including a further 237 million euros in money from the AMIF and 162.4 million as part of the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) — still a drop in the proverbial bucket.
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.
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