A noticeable decrease in the number of Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection status has been recorded in Poland. According to data as of early August 2026, 951,000 Ukrainians held this status, while by early October 2026, the figure dropped to 856,000. Thus, the registry decreased by approximately 95,000 people over two months. At the same time, analysts emphasize that this does not mean almost 100,000 Ukrainian citizens left the country during the same period: the dynamics are driven by a number of administrative and legal factors, rather than just departures.
Document Verification Becomes the Main Factor
One of the key reasons for the decline was the document verification procedure. Ukrainians who received UKR status without presenting a valid travel document were required to verify their identity by August 31, 2026. Those who failed to meet the deadline and provide the necessary data automatically lost their temporary protection status. According to experts, this exact mechanism formed the bulk of the two-month decrease in the registry.
Transition to Other Residence Grounds
In parallel, a portion of Ukrainian citizens are transitioning to other legal grounds for staying in Poland. Specifically, they are obtaining CUKR residence cards or other types of residence permits. As a result, these people formally drop out of the temporary protection statistics but continue to live and work in the country. Therefore, the reduction in the number of people with temporary protection status cannot be directly equated with the number of Ukrainians who left Poland.
Most Noticeable Dynamics Among Children
The most pronounced reduction was recorded in the children's group: the number of Ukrainian children with temporary protection status decreased by approximately 18%. Experts also draw attention to the fact that previous registries may have contained records of people who actually left Poland a long time ago. Because of this, they say, it is difficult to accurately determine how many Ukrainian refugees currently reside in the country.
Context: EU Data and Economic Trends
For comparison, according to Eurostat data, as of the end of June 2026, 961,170 Ukrainians had temporary protection in Poland, which is 6,335 fewer than the previous month — this was the most significant monthly decrease among EU countries. At the same time, Poland remains one of the countries with the highest number of Ukrainians under temporary protection: only Germany has more (around 1.28 million people). Against this economic backdrop, Polish companies in the second quarter of 2026 began to be more cautious in hiring permanent employees, while Ukrainian men aged 25–34 in Poland earn an average of 1,500 zlotys per month more than Poles in the same age group.
