The Polish government is gradually winding down the work of collective accommodation centres for Ukrainian refugees. The relevant bill was approved at a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Starting from 1 November 2025, these institutions will only accept representatives of protected categories: the elderly, pregnant women and people with disabilities.
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As Adam Szlapka, a spokesperson for the Polish government, explained, support varies according to the situation: “The Ministry of the Interior and Administration believes that now is the moment when this type of support can be stopped.”
Currently, more than half of the residents of the centres are already financially contributing to the costs of accommodation and food. Joanna Bachanek, spokesperson for the Mazovian Voivode, reminded that free accommodation in such facilities is only possible for the first 120 days after arrival in Poland. After that, a co-financing mechanism comes into play.
For about 6,000 Ukrainians who do not belong to protected groups, the Polish authorities are launching the Razem do niezależności (Together to Independence) programme. It will be funded by the EU. It is planned to subsidise housing rent and cover the cost of Polish language courses.
In the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, about 3,000 people are currently staying in collective accommodation centres. More than 1000 places remain free.
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