Rest of Europe must open borders to Ukrainian refugees, says Polish president

Poland’s president has called on the rest of Europe to open its borders in response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Andrzej Duda told BBC’s Sunday Morning programme that his country could end up taking in up to 2.5 million Ukrainians.

About 1.5 million people are thought to have fled to Poland since Russia’s invasion began.

President Duda requested that other European countries open their borders to what he called the worst refugee crisis on the continent since the Second World War.

“It is the biggest crisis since the Second World War, definitely”, he said.

“I would request that the borders are opened and refugees are accepted.”

He added that he is “deeply grateful” to the Polish people.

“I am really deeply grateful to my compatriots because what they have shown so far, I’m talking about ordinary people, they come to our borders with transport saying ‘I’ll take four people, I will take a whole family to my home’,” he said.

“Just imagine that 1.5 million refugees have crossed the Polish border and we have not built even a single refugee camp because all of them have been accepted in private houses, in hotels, in guest houses, in motels, and in resorts.”

However, he warned that up to five million refugees could end up fleeing Ukraine.

“According to experts, in an extreme situation it could be up to five million people,” he said.

“Of course we are not the only country who is receiving them because Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine, is also getting refugees. Hungary has a border with Ukraine.

“More than half of all refugees who have left Ukraine are in Poland. So, if there are five million, just imagine that we get 2.5 million.”

It came as Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove announced the new Homes for Ukraine programme, which will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.

So far more than 3,000 visas have been issued to Ukrainians seeking refuge in the UK

Britons offering accommodation to people fleeing Ukraine through the new route will receive a “thank you” payment of £350 per month.

Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years’ leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access public services.