Priceless paper: Refugees get IDs for new lives in Poland

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Hoping to restore some normalcy after fleeing the war in Ukraine, thousands of refugees waited in long lines Saturday in the Polish capital of Warsaw to get identification cards that will allow them to get on with their lives — at least for now.

Refugees started queuing by Warsaw’s National Stadium overnight to get the coveted PESEL identity cards that will allow them to work, live, go to school and get medical care or social benefits for the next 18 months. Still, by mid-morning, many were told to come back another day, the demand was too high even though Polish authorities had simplified the process.

“We are looking for a job now,” said 30-year-old Kateryna Lohvyn, who was standing in the line with her mother, adding it took a bit of time to recover from the shock of the Russian invasion.

“We don’t yet know (what to do),” she added. “But we are thankful to the Poles. They fantastically welcome us.”



Hundreds of refugees from Ukraine wait in line to apply for Polish ID numbers that will entitle them to work, free health care and education, at a special application point at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, March 19, 2022. The application points are not able to handle all those interested and ask many of them to return. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-refugees-poland-ids-72472201b58b7df85c913d765fcb6f9b

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[Totally Tunsie]

1. No "joke" this...

Thank you to the Polish people and government.

(Donation made.)

[CanonRay]

2. How can a country and economy the size of Poland

possibly absorb this many people? We'd be hard pressed to do it.

[Sogo]

3. I would have to disagree.

We have help wanted ads all over my small town in the Midwest. I can only imagine that is true in most regions of the US. We could absorb them fine.....We need workers....

[CanonRay]

4. It's not just jobs

Housing, schools, day care. We have a housing shortage in my community. Very few apartments available.

[NullTuples]

5. In many areas, there are plenty of housing units empty, but few available.

They tend to be part of investment rental portfolios, purchased when banks bid against other banks or foreclose on owners. There's a massive backlog to getting them into the rental market. But also banks don't want to add too many at one time lest they drive rents down. And, housing starts from the last two years that were started on paper but never built or completed are at a high. And finally, homes have become investment vehicles on a massive scale, not unlike how mortgages were bundled pre-2008.

In short, housing is a mess because of feudal capitalism.

[Demovictory9]

6. I wonder how many will return to Ukraine