Brussels: More Poles oppose accepting refugees from Ukraine than support doing so for the first time since 2014, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted by the CBOS research institute and published Friday, found that 52% of respondents believe Poland should not accept refugees from war-affected areas of Ukraine, while 42% said the country should continue to do so.

According to Anadolu Agency, it marks the first time opponents have outnumbered supporters since CBOS began tracking public opinion on the issue following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Support for accepting Ukrainian refugees has fallen sharply from 2022, when 94% of Poles backed welcoming those fleeing the war shortly after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Poland has since hosted more than one million Ukrainian refugees.

The survey comes as Warsaw and Kyiv remain at odds over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision in late May to honor a World War II-era insurgent group linked to the mass killing of Poles, Polish broadcaster TVP World reported. While Poland remains one of Ukraine's staunchest allies, anti-Ukrainian sentiment has grown in recent years as both countries continue to grapple with the legacy of their wartime history.

CBOS said the decline in support reflects a broader trend that has been evident since mid-2023. Compared with December, opposition to accepting Ukrainian refugees rose by six percentage points, while support fell by the same margin. The poll also found that 54% of respondents believe Poland provides too much assistance to Ukrainian refugees, while 40% said the current level of support is appropriate and 3% considered it insufficient.

It also showed strong backing for limiting healthcare benefits to Ukrainians who pay health insurance contributions in Poland, while a majority opposed ending publicly funded accommodation for mothers with children older than one year.