DEALING WITH UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS IN POLAND – AN EXAMPLE OF A WELL- FUNCTIONING CIVIL SOCIETY IN ACTION
DEALING WITH UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS IN POLAND – AN EXAMPLE OF A WELL- FUNCTIONING CIVIL SOCIETY IN ACTION

Summary/Abstract: The Russian attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022 triggered the beginning of the biggest humanitarian crisis in modern Europe since the end of World War 2. Within the first six days of the war, more than four million refugees crossed the Ukrainian border, and most of them arrived in Poland. In response to this crisis, non-governmental organizations and volunteers in Poland played a crucial role in providing support to Ukrainian refugees. Their efforts included providing basic necessities such as food and shelter, as well as assisting with legal and administra- tive matters. This may be dubbed an example of civil society in action, where citizens take initiati- ve to help those in need here and now, without waiting for the state to introduce specific legal acts. This article aims to describe the historical background of civil activities in Poland as well as the response of both volunteers and the government to the refugee crisis in the first period of the war.

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