Poland Grapples with Rising Asylum Claims Amid Ukrainian Conscription Challenges

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently defended the decision to suspend consular services until May 18 for male citizens of military age residing abroad, arguing that those avoiding the draft should not expect state services during wartime. This move, announced on X (formerly Twitter), reflects Kyiv's efforts to encourage the return of Ukrainian nationals eligible for military service.

The Polish government is currently considering updates to its legislation for Ukrainian war refugees, including the possibility of discontinuing financial support for housing and food. Under the current law, these refugees receive a residence permit extension until the end of June this year, with the potential for an additional year depending on the evolving situation in Ukraine. However, these changes would only affect those who arrived after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, and do not apply to those who were already in Poland.

According to Jakub Dudziak, a spokesperson from the Office for Foreigners, there has been a significant increase in the number of Ukrainians seeking asylum in Poland to avoid repatriation. In the first quarter of the previous year, 351 Ukrainians sought such protections, with this number increasing to 1,149 in the same period this year. Nearly 1,800 sought protection in all of 2023, with 1,140 successfully obtaining it. Dudziak noted that a negligible number of Ukrainians achieve refugee status in Poland, with the vast majority (99%) being granted subsidiary protection. As the conflict in Ukraine worsens, particularly with acute shortages of military personnel, the demand for such asylum claims is anticipated to rise.

Estimates suggest that about 1.5 million young Ukrainian men, who migrated to Poland primarily for employment opportunities, now reside there. This group is part of a larger cohort of more than 1.775 million people categorized as war refugees, with 13.1% being men between the ages of 18 and 65.
In response to the surge in applications from Ukrainians seeking asylum in Poland, the Ukrainian government recently lowered the mandatory military enlistment age from 27 to 25, thereby expanding the draft pool. This legislative change, initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky, underscores Ukraine's efforts to bolster its military forces amid ongoing conflict.

Under Ukrainian law, men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country under martial law conditions, except in specific circumstances. Similarly, Ukrainian nationals residing abroad face restrictions on settling permanently overseas. These regulations pose challenges for Ukrainian men of military age seeking refuge in neighboring countries like Poland.