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3w ago

Polish President Vetoes Refugee Aid Extension, Triggering Standoff and Starlink Funding Dispute

Refugee payments expire after September and the government lacks the supermajority to override the decision.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki gives a statement to the media at the presidential palace in Warsaw, Poland, August 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki/File Photo
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Poland's President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed legislation that would extend child benefits given to Ukrainians in Poland
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Overview

  • President Karol Nawrocki blocked a bill that would have extended child benefits for Ukrainian refugees until March 2026 and said welfare and healthcare should be limited to those working in Poland.
  • His office unveiled bills to equate promotion of Stepan Bandera symbols with Nazi and communist imagery in the criminal code and to tighten immigration rules, including lengthening the path to citizenship and raising penalties for illegal border crossings.
  • Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said the veto removes the legal basis to fund Ukraine’s Starlink service from October 1, while the presidential chancellery denied an immediate shutdown and said a presidential bill could preserve payments if passed in September.
  • Poland’s Interior Ministry warned the veto could add about 8 billion zlotys in costs and strain the budget, arguing it would undermine economic stability and social cohesion.
  • Poland hosts roughly 1 to 1.5 million Ukrainians, and studies cited by officials and media report a net positive economic impact from refugees, including a 2.7% boost to GDP estimated by a Deloitte analysis for UNHCR.