According to a recent research study conducted by the University of Warsaw’s research LAB and the University of Economics and Humanities in Warsaw, the majority of Polish citizens are still open to assisting Ukrainians, albeit with less decisiveness and unconditional support compared to the previous year. The findings, published by the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, reveal that 85 percent of respondents expressed a desire to help refugees from Ukraine.
However, Dr. Robert Staniszewski, the project manager of the survey, noted a decline in the enthusiasm to provide assistance. “We have observed a growing reluctance to offer free accommodation and food to Ukrainian refugees, and there is even opposition to their settlement in Poland after the war,” Dr. Staniszewski stated. “Support for Ukrainians has dwindled across various forms of assistance, with the exception of education.”
Rzeczpospolita highlighted a significant change in public opinion, reporting, “In just five months, the percentage of people in favor of Polish aid to Ukraine during the war has decreased from 62 to 42 percent. Currently, only 35 percent of respondents view Poland’s assistance to Ukraine as definitively positive, whereas this figure was 47 percent in January.”
According to the data, the percentage of Poles advocating for Ukrainians to return to their homeland following the war’s conclusion has witnessed a notable increase, rising from 53 percent in January to approximately 70 percent. This shift in public sentiment can be attributed to what some perceive as an emerging “entitlement attitude” displayed by certain refugees.
The study, employing a mixed-mode procedure, surveyed a sample of 584 individuals between the ages of 16 and 65 from May 23 to June 6 of this year.