How many refugees in Poland? authoritative figures, countries of origin and facts

The day the planet pays peculiar attention to the destiny of those forced to leave their homes – 20 Junein World exile Day – knowing the scale and nature of this phenomenon in Poland becomes crucial. Latest data Office for Foreigners shed light on the current situation, showing both the number of protected persons and the dynamic increase in requests for protection. According to authoritative statistics, in Poland valid residence permits in connection with the position of refugees presently have 3131 peopleand throughout 2024 the number of applications for global protection has increased by 79% compared to the erstwhile year. These data, compiled with a global study UNHCR, let a comprehensive analysis of Poland's function in the face of 1 of the top humanitarian challenges of our time.

Security scale in Poland: Refugees and supplementary protection

In order to realize the statistic precisely, 2 basic forms of global protection granted in Poland should be distinguished. According to data Office for Foreigners At the end of May 2025, the situation is as follows:

• Refugee status has 3131 foreigners. It is simply a form of protection granted under the 1951 Geneva Convention to persons who have a legitimate fear of persecution in the country of origin due to race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or belonging to a peculiar social group.
• Complementary protection has 17,046 people. This form of protection is granted to foreigners who do not meet the strict criteria of exile status, but whose return to their country of origin would exposure them to the real hazard of being seriously harmed, for example by the death penalty, torture or life-threatening due to widespread force in the framework of armed conflict.

These 2 figures show that more than 20 000 people have found safe shelter in Poland under standard global protection procedures, regardless of the peculiar mechanisms introduced, for example, for Ukrainian citizens after a full-scale invasion.

Record increase in applications for global protection

Data for the last year and a half show a clear and dynamic increase in the number of people seeking refuge in Poland. full 2024 au Office for Foreigners affected 17 000 applications to grant global protection. This is an increase as far as 79% compared to 2023, which shows Poland's increasing function as a mark country for people fleeing conflicts and persecution.

The largest groups of applicants in 2024 are citizens:

• Ukraine (7,000. persons)
• Belarus (3,9 thousand. persons)
• Russia (1,000. persons)

This trend is besides maintained this year. From 1 January to 31 May 2025 together 7471 applications. During this period, the same nationalities dominated, and the detailed distribution looked as follows:

• Ukraine – 4551 applications
• Belarus – 1283 applications
• Russia – 350 applications
• Tajikistan – 140 applications
• Afghanistan – 113 applications
• Ethiopia – 104 applications

This data clearly shows that political instability and conflicts in our immediate neighbourhood stay the main origin of forced migration to Poland.

Decision Analysis: Who receives protection and who refuses?

W 2024 The Polish authorities considered that the conditions for granting global protection met together 7 000 foreigners. affirmative decisions were received primarily by citizens Ukraine (6.9 thousand.), Belarus (2,6 thousand.) and Russia (0.2 thousand.). At the same time, negative decisions were issued against 1.6 thousand foreigners. Among them, the most many groups were citizens Russia (660 people), Belarus (150 people) and India (90 people).

The compilation of these figures shows that the citizens of Russia and Belarus are advanced on both lists, both with affirmative and negative decisions. This shows that each case is handled individually. The Authority examines closely whether a individual is the victim of political persecution of regimes in Minsk or Moscow, or whether his proposal has no solid basis. The statutory deadline for examining the application for protection shall be six months. During this time foreigners can benefit from social assistance, including accommodation, catering, medical care and educational activities, including learning Polish.

Contribution to the economy and the global perspective

The economical dimension of exile presence is frequently overlooked in public discourse. Meanwhile, as indicated by the advisory company study DeloitteUkrainian refugees were liable for 2.7% of last year's GDP of Poland. This is hard evidence that people who have found shelter in Poland are actively active in economical life, work, pay taxes and make a crucial contribution to the economical growth of the country.

The situation in Poland should besides be seen in a broader global context. Latest study United Nations advanced Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) June of this year is alarming. Until the end of April, there was a planet 122,1 million forced movers. This figure includes both refugees who crossed their borders (42.7 million), as well as internally displaced persons (73,5 million). Conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine.

Countries most affected by forced movements, given both refugees and internally displaced persons, are presently Sudan (14.3 million), Syria (13.5 million), Afghanistan (0.3 million) and Ukraine (1.8 million). These figures show that Poland, although facing a historical challenge, is part of an unprecedented global humanitarian crisis.