The Polish Sejm rejected President Karol Nawrockiʼs bill on assistance to Ukrainian refugees, which provided for punishment for "Banderism".
RMF24 writes about this.
244 deputies voted to reject the project, 198 were against, and three abstained.
This document generally duplicates most of the provisions on the gradual reduction of part of the aid, which were already included in the government law passed at the end of September.
Nawrocki also proposed provisions that were not in the government law. The first of them concerned changes to the Polish Criminal Code and provided for increased penalties for illegally crossing the Polish border.
Another change proposed introducing criminal penalties for the propaganda of "Banderism" and the activities of the OUN-UPA — on the same grounds as for the propaganda of Nazism, communism, or fascism.
What preceded
Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill on payments and free medical care for unemployed Ukrainians on August 25. He stated that assistance should only be provided to refugees who commit to working in Poland.
The bill provided for the extension of temporary protection for citizens of Ukraine fleeing the war until March 4, 2026.
In addition, it clarified the conditions for the payment of the "800 Plus" benefit so that children who graduated from high school before the age of 18 and fulfill their educational obligations by attending higher education institutions or qualifying professional courses could also receive it.
On September 17, the Polish Senate supported an updated bill. It extends the legal status of Ukrainian refugees until March 4, 2026, but at the same time defines new requirements for receiving financial assistance.
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