--- title: "Number of Ukrainians with Temporary Protection Status in Poland Drops by 95,000 in Two Months" description: "The number of Ukrainians with temporary protection status in Poland decreased from 951,000 to 856,000 over two months. Experts attribute this to document verification and the transition to other residence permits rather than mass departures from the country." date: 2026-11-03T12:38:41.740Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/poland-ukrainians-temporary-protection-drops tags: [poland, ukraine, temporary-protection, migration, ukrainian-refugees] author: "Darya Fomina" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Number of Ukrainians with Temporary Protection Status in Poland Drops by 95,000 in Two Months ![A woman and a child walking down the street with a travel suitcase](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/03/polsha-chislo-ukraintsev-vremennoy-zashchity-sokratilos/polsha-chislo-ukraintsev-vremennoy-zashchity-sokratilos-1.webp) ## Key Points - The number of Ukrainians with temporary protection status in Poland fell from 951,000 in early August 2026 to 856,000 in early October 2026. - The main reason was the requirement to verify identity by August 31, 2026, for those who received UKR status without a valid travel document. - Some Ukrainians are transitioning to CUKR residence cards and other residence permits, meaning the decrease does not equal leaving the country. - The most noticeable reduction was among children, at approximately 18%. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [В Польше на 95 тысяч сократилось количество украинцев под временной защитой: что произошло](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/polshchi-95-tisyach-skorotilasya-kilkist-1793708100.html) - Primary source; figures 951k (early August 2026) and 856k (early October 2026), deadline 31.08.2026, reduction among children ~18%. - [Более 6 тысяч в месяц: в Польше зафиксировали наибольшее сокращение количества украинцев в ЕС](https://minfin.com.ua/2026/10/02/182784014/) - Eurostat data: 961,170 at the end of June 2026, −6,335 for the month; Germany 1,286,230. - [Число украинцев в этой стране ЕС сокращается: где зафиксировано наибольшее сокращение числа ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/section-ekonomika-glavnaya/fea/news-ukrayintsiv-u-tsiy-krayini-yes-staye-menshe-de-zafiksuvaly-naybilshe-skorochennya-bizhentsiv-04-10-2026.html) - Confirms 961,170 at the end of June 2026 and −6,335 compared to the previous month. - [Число украинцев с временной защитой в Польше сократилось: что повлияло на беженцев](https://www.obozrevatel.com/ekonomika-glavnaya/economy/chislo-ukraintsev-s-vremennoj-zaschitoj-v-polshe-sokratilos-chto-povliyalo-na-bezhentsev.htm) - Reduction over the last six months by approximately 40,000; consistent with general trends. ## FAQ ### How many Ukrainians with temporary protection status remained in Poland by early October 2026? According to data as of early October 2026, 856,000 Ukrainians held temporary protection status, compared to 951,000 in early August 2026. ### Does the drop of 95,000 mean that the same number of people left Poland? No. The decrease is primarily explained by document verification (deadline August 31, 2026) and the transition of some citizens to CUKR residence cards or other residence permits, rather than just departures from the country. ### Which group saw the most noticeable reduction? The most noticeable reduction was recorded among children — by approximately 18%.