Poland is evacuating people of Polish origin from the Donbas. Four planes carrying migrants from eastern Ukraine landed at a military airstrip in Malbork, 60 kilometers from Gdansk, on November, 23, according to the Polish media.
Poles are being transported from the Zaporizhia airport by CASA military aircraft belonging to the Polish Air Force. According to the media reports, 149 people have arrived in Poland by air and 39 will arrive by train or by car.
Most of the Poles are from Mariupol. "These are people from Mariupol and dozens of people from areas occupied by the so-called separatists, who were not able to evacuate in January this year and only just decided to evacuate," - said the head of the Polish Parliamentary Committee on Liaison with Poles Abroad, Michał Dworczyk of the Law and Justice party.
Prime Minister Beata Szydło met Poles arriving from Ukraine at the Malbork airstrip. "Welcome home. Poland is your home, where we will do everything to make you feel safe," said the head of the Polish government.
Poles from Eastern Ukraine will be placed at a Caritas center, which is located in the village of Rybaki, 30 kilometers from Olsztyn. A family of six who came from Ukraine by car already lives there. Poles evacuated from Ukraine will study the Polish language over a period of six months. They will receive permanent residence permits, which will allow them to work and study in Poland.
