Since the invasion of Ukraine, we’ve been closely monitoring the potential impact on all our teachers, and especially on the ones in neighboring Poland.
At the moment, we have teachers in Warsaw, Wroclaw and Gdansk. We have been in touch with them to discuss how the invasion of Ukraine has affected their lives in Poland.
Here’s what they told us:
Effects on day to day life
Our teachers told us that their lives in Poland have been unaffected by recent events; but that to the extent there have been changes, these are the main two:
1. Volunteering
It’s been great to see that a number of our teachers in Warsaw have looked at ways to volunteer and assist refugees from Ukraine. In general, people in Poland have been working hard to assist refugees by taking them in, or by dropping things like food, toiletries, baby strollers and helping them contact their embassies.
Our teachers in Warsaw have bought groceries and made arrangements for these to be delivered to the border.
The teaching schedules of our teachers have been unaffected, barring the occasional cancelled 1-1 class, because of a student doing voluntary work with refugees.
2. It’s busier than usual, especially in Warsaw
In Warsaw, our teachers have reported a noticeable influx of new arrivals from Ukraine, but this has so far not been the case in Wroclaw and Gdansk.
But Liam in Warsaw said that despite this, “it’s worth remembering just how big Warsaw is, like it’s a lot bigger than Paris with a smaller population so it’s hard to see how the city will ever feel overcrowded”.
None of our teachers felt any differently about their personal safety as a result of the new arrivals.
What does it mean if you are planning to move to Poland?
Potential for delays on visas and residence permits
As a lot of new arrivals to Poland are working on their residence status, there’s the potential for delays in immigrantion related documents. It’s too early to say whether this will materialise and to what extent, and it’s something we will monitor closely.
What about Poland being NATO’s first line of defense?
In talking to our teachers, there was certainly an awareness of this, and some concern. But on balance they feel that as Poland is part of NATO, it is just as safe as any other NATO member countries.
We hope for an end to the suffering in Ukraine, and we’re proud of the help and assistance our teachers in Poland have offered to refugees.
Contact us if you have any questions about moving to Poland during this time: info@impact-teaching.com
Here’s a YouTube video by Mahalia about her experiences in Warsaw
