A record number of marriages between Poles and Ukrainian immigrants was recorded in Poland last year, according to a recent study cited by various media outlets.
A total of 2,556 marriages between Ukrainians and Poles were registered in 2024 – a 22% rise from 2022 and nearly three times more than a decade ago, according to University of Lodz research based on data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS).
The surge has caused unease among parts of Polish society. Nearly half of young Polish women view female refugees from Ukraine negatively, with disapproval strongest among those aged 20-29, according to a University of Warsaw study cited by Onet.pl.
Resentment toward Ukrainians has also been fueled by claims that they exploit family benefits, enjoy privileged access to public services, and contribute to rising crime, Le Monde reported last month.
Poland has been one of the main destinations for Ukrainian refugees since the escalation of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022. More than 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens currently reside in the country, mostly women, with nearly a million under temporary protection status, the report said. Under Polish law, a person under temporary protection who marries a Polish citizen becomes eligible to apply for a temporary residence permit as a family member.
Polish men are far more likely to marry Ukrainian women – 2,021 cases – than Polish women are to marry Ukrainian men, who accounted for 535 marriages. Onet noted, however, that marriages with Ukrainians still make up only around 2% of all those registered nationwide.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a bill last month that tightens the rules for Ukrainian refugees receiving state benefits. While it offers Ukrainians the ability to stay in Poland until at least March 2026, it ties access to benefits to proof of employment for at least one parent and school enrollment for their children.
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Nawrocki has also submitted two additional bills to parliament concerning refugees – one that tightens the rules for receiving citizenship and one criminalizing the promotion of hardline Ukrainian nationalist movements.
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