Polish society's initial responses to the arrival of forced migrants from Ukraine in early 2022

• Published in: Canadian foreign policy journal Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 52 - 64
• Main Authors: Fomina, Joanna, Pachocka, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 02.01.2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Civil society; civil society organizations; Cultural groups; forced migration; Grass roots movement; Migrants; Participant observation; Poland; Society; Ukraine; volunteers; Poland; Ukraine
• DOI: 10.1080/11926422.2024.2310245
• ISSN: 1192-6422

It has been over a year after Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine at the end of February 2022, which caused massive internal displacement in Ukraine and forced outmigration to neighboring countries on an unprecedented scale. From the beginning of the war, Poland has been the main host country, providing temporary protection to more than 1.5 million persons. The initial support for forced migrants was based on spontaneous actions and grassroots social initiatives. This article analyses the Polish society's engagement in humanitarian and reception assistance to people fleeing Ukraine in the first months of the crisis, including various societal actors, from informal initiatives and volunteering by everyday people of different nationalities to more formalized civil society organizations. The paper is based on the analysis of quantitative data, the subject literature and official documents, and extensive participant observation by the authors of the public engagement in Poland in 2022.