1 in 4 Ukrainian evacuees in Polish employment database have found work
Read also: Ukrainian refugees can help Europe with labor shortages, says IMF
Szefernaker believes that Poland needs a systemic solution for Ukrainian war refugees, who he thinks need to go through cultural adaptation and become self-reliant in the Polish economy.
“For instance, legally employed are more than 100,000 people who came [from Ukraine], while the PESEL base has 400,000 individuals of employable age registered there,” said Szefernaker.
“That means 1 in 4 Ukrainians of employable age has started some kind of job. That’s a globally influential thing because we’re talk about refugees. That never happened before.”
It's important that Ukrainian refugees can to find housing that they can afford, added Szefernaker. Meanwhile, Poland has its own government-run housing program for Ukrainians.
Several public companies and local municipalities in Poland hold property in reserve that could become a home to tens of thousands of Ukrainians if they arrive.
Read also: Nearly third of Ukrainian refugees have since returned, says interior ministry
According to the UN estimates, more than 5.8 million Ukrainians have fled the country, mostly to Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia.
U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to accept as many as 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, though they need to have a sponsoring family in America who would guarantee covering their living expenses.
The U.S. Department of State has continued to run a Green Card lottery for those who do not qualify for refugee program.
