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Polish citizens in Ukraine granted legal stay for 18 months
Ukrainian media reports said that Polish citizens in Ukraine on Thursday (July 28) were granted the right to stay, work and carry out business activities for 18 months.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a law on "the establishment of legal and social guarantees for citizens of the Republic of Poland residing in the territory of Ukraine," the Anadolu Agency reported.
It said that Polish people are also guaranteed the right to receive an education and medical care.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a proposed law to parliament that would grant Polish citizens special legal status in Ukraine as a show of gratitude for the help Poland has provided since Russia launched the war against his country on Feb. 24 this year.
Poles have generously welcomed refugees from the war in neighboring Ukraine in the past few months.
Poland, which borders Ukraine, hosts over 2 million Ukrainian refugees, mainly women, children and the elderly. However, it is a big challenge for Poland to receive this number from Ukraine which has a population of about 38 million.
Rights group warns Poland about safety of Ukrainian refugees, especially women
Russia's war on Ukraine has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.
At least 5,237 civilians have been killed and 7,035 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, according to the UN. Some 10 million people have also fled to neighboring countries.
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