Poland preparing for potential influx of Ukrainian refugees–Interior minister

By: 3 years ago

A view shows the checkpoint Ustilug on the border with Poland, in Ukraine November 15, 2017. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

WARSAW — Poland is preparing for “various scenarios” for a possible influx of refugees if Russia were to attack Ukraine, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Sunday.

Washington has said Russia, which has more than 100,000 troops massed near Ukraine, could invade at any moment. Moscow denies having any such plans.

“In connection with the situation in Ukraine we are preparing for various scenarios. One of them is regional preparations related to a possible influx of refugees from Ukraine,” Kaminski said in a tweet published Sunday.

The mayor of the eastern Polish town of Ciechanow said on Saturday that he was asked by his regional government to prepare accommodation for possible refugees.

“We were asked to indicate the list of accommodation facilities for refugees, the number of people it would be possible to accommodate, the costs involved and the time for adaptation of buildings with a recommendation of up to 48 hours,” Krzysztof Kosinski tweeted.

Poland is home to between one and two million Ukrainians, many of whom came to the country to work.

A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry declined to provide more details about the preparations taking place, referring to Kaminski’s tweet. Ciechanow’s town hall did not respond to Reuters request for comment.

In late January, Poland’s Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik said Poland was bracing for up to one million Ukrainian migrants.