Poland’s lawmakers have given the final go-ahead to a plan of support for Ukrainians escaping the Russian attack on their country.

The lower house approved the bill on Saturday, after the upper house cleared the draft legislation on Friday night. The proposal now heads to President Andrzej Duda for signature. Under the bill, Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion will be granted the PESEL national identification number and an 18-month legal stay in Poland. Children born to Ukrainian mothers who have escaped the Russian attack are also set to be given legal stay. Moreover, Ukrainians will be allowed to work and use public health-care services, while Ukrainian school children and university students will be able to continue their education in Poland. People and organisations who provide food and accommodation to Ukrainian refugees will receive a daily allowance of PLN 40 per person, amounting to PLN 1,200 EUR over a period of up to 60 days.

Source – Polskie Radio

The Polish prime minister on Saturday announced that the government would prolong its anti-inflation policies to mitigate the economic and financial fallout of Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

The PM noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was pushing the prices of fuel as well as gas and other natural resources higher. On February 1, Poland cut value-added tax on fuels from 23 percent to 8 percent, and it also slashed the tax on food from 5 percent to 0 percent and on gas and fertilisers to 0 percent, in an effort to curb inflation. These measures were to remain in force for 6 months.

Source – Polskie Radio

Tensions are rising once again on the border between Poland and Belarus as 85 migrants tried to cross illegally into Poland from Belarus on Thursday, the Polish Border Guard announced on Friday.

It’s the highest number this year, the agency wrote on Twitter. Those attempting to enter Poland illegally included people from Syria, Cuba, Turkey, Ghana, Pakistan and Egypt.

Source – Radio Gdańsk

A local Gdańsk charity has started an initiative to make Ukrainian childrens books available in libraries across the country for children forced to flee with their mothers from Ukraine.

The head of the campaign organised by the Metropolitan Children’s Foundation said that „Books will go to public libraries all over the country so that children who came here with their mothers could hear a fairy tale read by a parent in their native language in the evening. Even if in a year or two these children will speak Polish perfectly, many emotions will best sound for them in their mother tongue, and there are simply no books in Ukrainian in Polish libraries”.

Source – Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be another sunny day with a light breeze and temperatures of 8 degrees centigrade (46 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and -3 degrees overnight. Tomorrow will see continued sunny spells in a gentle breeze with temperatures of 9 degree during the day and 0 degrees overnight.

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Martin Caren/MarWer