Poland has significantly intensified the revocation of refugee status and other forms of international protection for foreigners. Official data shows that since 2020, hundreds of people have lost such status, and although the largest share is from Russian citizens, the decisions have also affected Ukrainians and Belarusians. This is reported by In Poland.
Who most often loses protection in Poland
According to the Office for Foreigners, as of October 20, 2025, 410 decisions on granting international protection have been revoked. The largest number - 336 are Russians. Next on the list: 38 Ukrainians and 15 Belarusians.
Over the past five years, the dynamics of refusals look like this: 107 decisions in 2020, 64 in 2021, 42 in 2022, 75 in 2023, and 71 in 2024. Since the beginning of 2025 until October 20, another 52 foreigners have been deprived of international protection.
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Why refugee status is revoked in Poland
In the overwhelming majority of cases (70%), the reason is a change of circumstances - a situation under which protection was granted ceases to exist or no longer poses a threat to the person. In other words, the Polish authorities believe that the applicant no longer needs special legal protection.
About 15% of decisions are made for security reasons. Such a request may be initiated by the border service, police, Internal Security Agency, or even the Minister of Justice. This concerns cases where a foreigner may potentially pose a threat to the state or its citizens.
Employment expert Vitaliy Belents explains that this trend is directly related to Poland's security policy:
«The Polish state is gradually regaining control over the system of international protection. If circumstances change or a person has lived and worked for a long time without threats to themselves, the authorities believe that refugee status is no longer needed. For Ukrainians, this is not a widespread phenomenon, but it is important to understand that any data may be checked, especially if a person actively works or spends a lot of time outside of Poland».
Poland has strengthened control over granted refugee status following the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine and the increase in the number of asylum applications. Authorities explain that the system must work for those who genuinely need protection, and verifying the circumstances is a necessary element of the country's security.