According to a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS), 52 percent of respondents now believe that Poland should not accept refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, while 42 percent disagree.
It is the first time since CBOS began monitoring attitudes following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 that opponents of accepting Ukrainian refugees have outnumbered supporters.
In the immediate aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, support for taking in refugees stood at 94 percent.
The report says the shift reflects a long-term trend that has been underway since mid-2023. Compared with last December, opposition to accepting refugees has risen by 6 percentage points, while support has fallen by the same margin.
The survey also found that 54 percent of Poles believe their country is providing too much assistance to Ukrainian refugees. Another 40 percent consider the current level of support appropriate, while just 3 percent say it is insufficient.
CBOS also asked respondents about recent changes to regulations governing assistance for Ukrainian citizens, introduced in March and July this year.
An overwhelming 87 percent supported limiting access to the full range of publicly funded healthcare services to people who pay health insurance contributions in Poland, with only 8 percent opposing the measure.
Public opinion was markedly different, however, when it came to the withdrawal of free accommodation in collective housing centres for mothers with children older than one year. A clear majority—58 percent—opposed the change, while 29 percent supported it.
Conducted July 2-12, 2026, the survey used a mixed-mode methodology combining face-to-face, telephone and online interviews on a representative sample of 938 adult living in Poland.
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Source: PAP