President of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) prof. Gertruda Uścińska informed that the Department would launch a helpline in Ukrainian. She also announced that Ukrainian-speaking translators and materials printed in this language will be waiting at ZUS offices.

Due to the war in Ukraine, about one and a half million citizens of the country have fled to Poland, seeking shelter from the consequences of military operations.

– Our borders remain open to these people. They’re met with enormous support and hospitality from Poles – emphasized prof. Uścińska. She added that refugees are mainly women and children, hence the key issue will be adopting new solutions in the field of family policy for Ukrainian citizens.

The president of ZUS reminded that urgent work was underway on the special act and other legal solutions to support refugees from Ukraine. The draft law on helping Ukrainian citizens was adopted by the Sejm on Wednesday and now the Senate will be working on it.

– On the basis of the special act, we will launch a dedicated helpline in Ukrainian at ZUS, translators using Ukrainian will be waiting at ZUS offices, as well as materials printed in this language – said the head of ZUS.

She pointed out that the proposed provisions contained in the special act will allow for the legalization of stay on Polish territory for Ukrainian citizens who enter directly from this country from 24 February in a simple, quick and safe manner.

– The law on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with the armed conflict on the country’s territory provides that if a refugee legally entered Poland from Ukraine after February 24 and declared his intention to remain on our territory, his stay will be considered legal for a period of 18 months – she added prof. Uścińska quoted by the portal Polskieradio24.pl.

The president emphasized that thanks to this procedure of legalizing the stay, refugees from Ukraine will gain immediate access to a wide range of support from the Polish state, in the form of emergency aid, the labor market, and social benefits and services – education, health care, family benefits.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński