Poland sees surge in refugees after Ukraine allows 18–22-year-olds to leave

The decision by the Ukrainian authorities to allow young people aged 18 to 22 to leave the country is already having negative repercussions for Poland, according to the local daily Rzeczpospolita.

“According to the latest data from the border obtained by Rzeczpospolita, the decision of the Ukrainian authorities has had devastating consequences for our country,” the publication reported.

The newspaper noted that immediately after Kyiv introduced the measure, Poland witnessed an unprecedented surge in the arrival of young Ukrainian refugees.

On August 28, Andriy Demchenko, a representative of Ukraine’s State Border Service, said during a nationwide telethon that young men began leaving the country as soon as the decree allowing conscripts aged 18 to 22 to cross the border came into effect.

The policy, which permits men in this age group to exit Ukraine despite martial law, has stirred debate within Ukrainian society. Some citizens welcomed it, while others argued that it was unfair to soldiers already serving and to other conscripts who remain restricted from leaving.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier defended the decision, saying it was intended to keep young people tied to the country. He noted that many parents had taken their children abroad before they turned 18, and that the new measure would ensure more young people stayed in Ukraine to pursue secondary and higher education while maintaining connections to their homeland. According to the president’s estimates, the policy should not undermine Ukraine’s defence capability.

By Tamilla Hasanova