Polish MEP Urges Halt to Ukrainian Citizenship Grants, Citing Political Infiltration Risk

Polish MEP Eva Zajaczkowska-Hernik has called for an immediate suspension of citizenship grants to Ukrainian nationals and the establishment of a legal mechanism to revoke citizenships already awarded. She contends that naturalization enables Ukrainians to "infiltrate" Poland’s political system and exert undue influence, a risk she seeks to block through legislative action.

The demand directly follows former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba’s recent appeal for Ukrainians living in Poland and elsewhere to organize as a "political force" to sustain international support for Kyiv. Kuleba, who left office in September 2024, framed diaspora engagement as vital to Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts.

Zajaczkowska-Hernik’s proposal marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric surrounding the integration of the more than one million Ukrainian refugees and migrants who have arrived in Poland since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Citizenship policy remains a sovereign competence of EU member states, and any revocation mechanism would face formidable legal obstacles under both Polish and European law.

The confrontation reflects broader tensions over the political agency of the Ukrainian community in Central Europe. It also aligns with a pattern of public clashes involving Polish MEPs, including a recent protest by a Confederation party lawmaker who destroyed portraits of Ukrainian nationalist leaders and demanded an end to aid for Kyiv.