Repatriating Poles from Ukraine's conflict area
Poland steps up plans to repatriate ethnic Poles from Mariupol
Poland steps up plans to repatriate ethnic Poles from Mariupol
Area of conflict |
Polish envoys will take measures to confirm whether 106 ethnic Polish families from the war torn area in the Southeastern part of Ukraine want to come to Poland.
The city and surrounding boroughs are constant targets of separatist offensives, and located only miles away from the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic, a stronghold of Moscow-backed rebels.
Once in Poland, the repatriates woould be taken to “adaptation camps, in line with a scheme applied earlier to people of Polish origin in Donbas,” Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told news channel TVP Info. The repatriates are to be granted permanent stay in Poland, a status allowing them to live and work legally in the country.
Poland’s largest opposition party, PiS (Law and Justice), of which Poland's newly elected President is a member accused ruling Civic Platform of inaction in dealing with Poles in Mariupol. Parliamentary elections coming up shortly may see PiS form a new government.
The action is directed towards 106 ethnic Poles and their immediate families based in Mariupol and the nearby Novoazovsky, Volodarsky and Pershotravnevy boroughs.
A repeated target of separatist offensives, the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol is situated kilometers away from the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic, a stronghold of Moscow-backed rebels.
Once in Poland, the repatriates are to be taken to “adaptation camps, in line with a scheme applied earlier to people of Polish origin in Donbas,” Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told news channel TVP Info. The repatriates are to be granted permanent stay in Poland, a status allowing them to live and work legally in the country.
The action follows in the footsteps of an evacuation of 178 ethnic Poles from the Donbas separatist enclave, carried out in January.
“We are launching what we consider an important programme, one which illustrates that our government is tending to these matters,” Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told news channel TVP Info.
The announcement comes days after Poland’s largest opposition party, Law and Justice, accused ruling Civic Platform of inaction in dealing with Poles in Mariupol.
Last week, the government doubled budget reserves earmarked for existing and potential repatriates from PLN 14 mln (EUR 3.3 mln) to PLN 30 mln (EUR 7 mln) in 2016.
According to data from the Interior Ministry, over 5,000 ethnic Poles returned to their country of origin between January 2001 and December 2014. (aba/rk)
- See more at: http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/223952,Poland-steps-up-plans-to-repatriate-ethnic-Poles-from-Mariupol#sthash.WsURuG0K.dpuf
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