Ukrainian refugees adjusting to life in Windsor's Polish twin city
When war broke in Ukraine nearly two years ago, Windsor's twin city in Poland was inundated with 65,000 refugees seeking emergency shelter and help.
Lublin, Poland, is near the Eastern Polish border with Ukraine. Today it is home to about 35,000 to 40,000 Ukrainians who have settled in with jobs and students who are attending school.
"Definitely we are better prepared. We have more and more students attending public schools in Lublin," said Krzysztof Stanowski, International Affairs Director of Lublin.
Krzysztof Stanowski, International Affairs Director of Lublin. (Dale Molnar/CBC)
He said the emphasis now is on integrating the Ukrainians, who are living in homes rather than shelters and are working and paying taxes, rather than emergency relief.
"Now it's mainly about integration, about culture initiatives, about legal advisors, about psychological assistance, long term support to them," said Stanowski, in a Zoom call from Lublin.
About 100 Ukrainian teachers now work in Lublin. (Krzysztof Stanowski)
He said the Ukrainians have been given Pesel numbers, which are similar to our Social Insurance Numbers, which allow them to work in the country.
"When you are refugee when you came from Ukraine, you can get this social security number and it makes you equal to the Polish citizen in all the services except voting rights," he said.
Stanowski says 1.4 million refugees have either gone through or moved to Lublin since the beginning of the war.
He says there are only up to 400 people at any time living in group settings such as dorms now. He says about 50 to 70 people come to Lublin weekly, and these are people coming from the war torn parts of Eastern Ukraine.
"For many of them the first building they visit is the hospital. Wounded people, civilians also soldiers, people with PTSD," he said.
Jerry Barycki is a member of the City of Windsor International Relations Committee and also the president of the Polish-Canadian Business and Professional Association in Windsor. He says Lublin has a number of programs to help Ukrainians integrate.
Jerry Barycki is on Windsor's International Relations Committee. (Dale Molnar/CBC)
'Not only with relation to children, their school and all this, but also, legal advice. And they have almost 500 people who are translating," said Barycki.
Coun. Angelo Marigani is the chair of the International Relations Committee. He says they are keeping in touch with Lublin.
"So the International Relations Committee often gets updates from the sister city and we're just continuing our cooperation," said Marignani
Stanowski estimates that eventually about 40,000 Ukrainians will settle in Lublin permanently. That will mean one in five people living in that city will be Ukrainian.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy presents the Mayor of Lublin with a Rescue City Medal for its work in welcoming Ukrainian refugees. (Krzysztof Stanowski)
"They lost their houses, so they are forced to start the new life," said Stanowski.
In 2022, Windsor's International Relations Committee sent $5,000 to Lublin to help with emergency supplies. Stanowski said the money went for things like hygienic products and colouring books and supplies for children.
He says now if Windsor or anyone wants to donate anything its best to send money to Ukraine.
On July 10 the City of Windsor donated $5,000 to the Ukrainian consulate in Toronto to buy electrical generators for the country.
Marignani says there are no plans at the moment to send more aid to Lublin.
