Priceless paper: Refugees get IDs for new lives in Poland

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Hoping to revive some normalcy after fleeing the battle in Ukraine, hundreds of refugees waited in lengthy strains Saturday within the Polish capital of Warsaw to get identification playing cards will permit them to get on with their lives — at the least for now.

Refugees began queuing by Warsaw’s Nationwide Stadium in a single day to get the coveted PESEL identification playing cards that may permit them to work, dwell, go to high school and get medical care or social advantages for the subsequent 18 months. Nonetheless, by mid-morning, many had been advised to come back again one other day, the demand was too excessive despite the fact that Polish authorities had simplified the method.

“I’m very impressed with Polish individuals as they had been so sort,” mentioned one girl standing within the line. “We’re new right here … we’re simply trying and making an attempt to adapt to new life.”

Poland has to this point taken in additional than 2 million refugees from Ukraine — t he bulk of greater than 3.3 million those that the U.N. says have fled since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. A whole lot of hundreds extra have additionally streamed into Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania.

Many of the refugees fleeing Ukraine have been girls and kids, as a result of males aged 18 to 60 are forbidden from leaving the nation and have stayed to combat.

Polish authorities mentioned greater than 123,000 refugees have been given the ID numbers — together with greater than 1,000 every day in Warsaw — for the reason that program was launched Wednesday.

Svetlana, a Ukrainian girl from Ivano-Frankivsk who has lived and labored in Poland for over 10 years, has had kinfolk come now to Poland as nicely. She mentioned receiving the Polish ID numbers will make an enormous distinction for everybody from Ukraine.

“That is actually so essential to us that we will formally search for work, ship kids to high school and be energetic right here,” Svetlana mentioned. “It actually adjustments the way in which we really feel right here.”

Refugees can obtain one-time good thing about 300 zlotys ($70) per particular person and a month-to-month profit for every baby underneath 18 of 500 zlotys ($117). Those that discover jobs should pay taxes on their earnings similar to Poles.

Pavlo Masechko, a 17-year-old from Novovolynsk within the Volyn area of western Ukraine, has been making an attempt to rebuild his life within the southeastern Polish metropolis of Rzeszow. Earlier than the battle, Masechko had plans to come back to Poland to check when he completed highschool, however he says being compelled out of his nation by battle is one thing fully totally different.

“That is so traumatic to depart your nation on this second like this,” mentioned Masechko, who has joined an area faculty in Poland since arriving. Now, Masechko’s Ukrainian trainer is looking for to prepare courses on-line that had been suspended when Russia attacked.

“When the state of affairs began, it was very tough for me to concentrate on different issues. However time handed and now the state of affairs is extra steady and steady in my head additionally,” he mentioned. “I’ve began to focus once more on different issues in my life.”

Lots of the refugees from Ukraine have since moved on to different nations in Europe, largely to stick with family and friends. Some, nonetheless, have chosen to return residence at the same time as the tip of the battle is nowhere in sight.

Amongst them was 41-year-old Viktoria, who was ready Saturday together with her teenage daughter Alisa to board a prepare again to Zhitomyr in central Ukraine.

“For the final 5 days it has been quiet,” mentioned Viktoria. “Our native authorities are good. They ready every thing for us there so we will return to work, have regular life and kids can have on-line schooling.”

Alisa mentioned she will not be afraid to return and needs to reunite with the remainder of the household who’re nonetheless in Ukraine.

“My kinfolk are there,” she mentioned.

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Observe the AP’s protection of the Ukraine disaster at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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