Since February 2022, over six million people have fled Ukraine through Poland, making it the second biggest transit and host country for refugees escaping the war.
NRC in Poland
Notice: NRC's Poland country office closed operations in March 2025
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) was present in Poland from March 2022 to March 2025. During this period, we supported more than 300,000 people. We decided to close the Poland Country Office following an internal review in July 2024. This was informed by the context, the significant capacity of local organisations and authorities in Poland, and the decrease in funding available to international non-governmental organisations in the country. As part of preparedness planning in the event of a future and significant influx of refugees into Poland, emergency preparedness agreements were signed by the regional office with two partners in February 2025.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) was present in Poland from March 2022 to March 2025. During this period, we supported more than 300,000 people. We decided to close the Poland Country Office following an internal review in July 2024. This was informed by the context, the significant capacity of local organisations and authorities in Poland, and the decrease in funding available to international non-governmental organisations in the country. As part of preparedness planning in the event of a future and significant influx of refugees into Poland, emergency preparedness agreements were signed by the regional office with two partners in February 2025.
What's happening in Poland?
Over six million people have crossed from Ukraine into the EU through Poland, fleeing the armed conflict in search of safety and international protection. Close to one million individuals have decided to stay in Poland and register for temporary protection. But despite the enabling legal environment and their access to social assistance, many struggle to cover their basic needs.
Refugees from third countries crossing into Poland from Belarus face limited access to shelter, drinking water, food and other necessities at the border and in the forests between formal border crossings. They also face challenges in obtaining timely and accurate legal information on international protection and legal stay.
Before the closure of our Poland Country Office, we worked largely through local partners – responding to this influx of refugees through advocacy and programme interventions, including legal aid, education, livelihoods, shelter, protection from violence and targeted cash for basic needs for the most vulnerable families and individuals. We also responded to the needs of migrants and refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea and other conflict-affected countries crossing irregularly into Poland from Belarus.
From late 2022 onwards, we led the private and public advocacy efforts to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis and needs of local organisations at the Poland–Belarus border. We were one of the first international humanitarian organisations to support local partners providing lifesaving assistance to people on the move at this border with technical expertise and financial support.
Region: Europe
Population: 40.2 million
Refugees hosted: 978,467
Notice: NRC's Poland country office closed operations in March 2025
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) was present in Poland from March 2022 to March 2025. During this period, we supported more than 300,000 people. We decided to close the Poland Country Office following an internal review in July 2024. This was informed by the context, the significant capacity of local organisations and authorities in Poland, and the decrease in funding available to international non-governmental organisations in the country. As part of preparedness planning in the event of a future and significant influx of refugees into Poland, emergency preparedness agreements were signed by the regional office with two partners in February 2025.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) was present in Poland from March 2022 to March 2025. During this period, we supported more than 300,000 people. We decided to close the Poland Country Office following an internal review in July 2024. This was informed by the context, the significant capacity of local organisations and authorities in Poland, and the decrease in funding available to international non-governmental organisations in the country. As part of preparedness planning in the event of a future and significant influx of refugees into Poland, emergency preparedness agreements were signed by the regional office with two partners in February 2025.
What's happening in Poland?
Over six million people have crossed from Ukraine into the EU through Poland, fleeing the armed conflict in search of safety and international protection. Close to one million individuals have decided to stay in Poland and register for temporary protection. But despite the enabling legal environment and their access to social assistance, many struggle to cover their basic needs.
Refugees from third countries crossing into Poland from Belarus face limited access to shelter, drinking water, food and other necessities at the border and in the forests between formal border crossings. They also face challenges in obtaining timely and accurate legal information on international protection and legal stay.
Before the closure of our Poland Country Office, we worked largely through local partners – responding to this influx of refugees through advocacy and programme interventions, including legal aid, education, livelihoods, shelter, protection from violence and targeted cash for basic needs for the most vulnerable families and individuals. We also responded to the needs of migrants and refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea and other conflict-affected countries crossing irregularly into Poland from Belarus.
From late 2022 onwards, we led the private and public advocacy efforts to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis and needs of local organisations at the Poland–Belarus border. We were one of the first international humanitarian organisations to support local partners providing lifesaving assistance to people on the move at this border with technical expertise and financial support.
Our response
NRC in Poland worked with partners in the following areas:
- Education – supporting teachers and refugee children with mental health and psychosocial techniques to recover lost learning capacity due to stress, as well as offering young people safe places to meet their peers.
- Information, counselling and legal assistance – running hotlines and counselling points, where people affected by displacement can access information on housing, social support and legal stay.
- Livelihoods and food security – providing cash assistance to the most vulnerable families and undertaking vocational training to help refugees exercise their right to employment in Poland.
- Shelter and settlements – working with local authorities and civil society to renovate apartments in Bialystok and offer vulnerable refugees a safe and affordable place to live, as well as working on short-term accommodation options in Warsaw.
- Protection from violence – providing lifesaving assistance and legal aid to people on the move from conflict-affected countries crossing the Poland–Belarus border, as well as general case management support to ensure vulnerable people got the services and support they needed.
Our operations
NRC office established: 2022
Areas of operation: Warsaw (country office), nationwide
Country Director: Neil Brighton
Contact: neil.brighton@nrc.no
Our impact
In 2023, we assisted 114,603 people through our programmes in Poland:
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6,296Education
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38,234Livelihoods and food security
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38,234Shelter and settlements
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38,234Protection from violence
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70,073Information, counselling and legal assistance
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38,234Water, sanitation and hygiene
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1,713other NRC activities
Note: some people received more than one type of assistance.
