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A Ukrainian family waiting for a train to Warsaw at Przemysl train station. Alamy Stock Photo

‘I have to go back’: Polish city remains a major hub for Ukrainians fleeing war (and going home)

Volunteers from all over the world are helping the city to handle the crisis.

Céimin Burke reports from the Poland-Ukraine border

A STONE’S THROW from Poland’s border with Ukraine, the city of Przemyśl immediately became a major hub for refugees fleeing Russia’s war when the invasion was launched in late February.

Within days the population of the city spiked from 60,000 up to 100,000 and several large buildings – including the train station, a theatre and a disused Tesco superstore – became temporary homes for thousands of people.

Nearly two months later officials in the local government say the city is now relatively calm. Yet people leaving (and returning to) Ukraine still stream through the train station throughout the day.  

Coming and going

Natalia and her son Symon previously passed through Przemyśl in early March during a three day journey to stay with her cousin near Dresden, Germany. 

Seven weeks later Natalia says it is time to return. “I’m from Kyiv. I have to go back,” she explains. “We have to try to have a normal life and to help Ukraine.”

Symon appears to be taking things in his stride, enjoying a mini-easter egg handed out by one of the volunteers and playing with a miniature helicopter.

Travelling in the opposite direction is Tanya and her dog Fedir. Tanya’s from a town close to Odesa and she’s going to stay with a friend in Katowice, Poland, before potentially moving to Berlin.

“I have no job now. I worked with an accountant company. I’m only young and I won’t be able to stay soon if I don’t get money.”

The station goes through periodic rushes of activity when trains pull in or when buses arrive from the nearby humanitarian centre – which is still housed in the giant Tesco. 

But outside of this the charming 19th century building can be almost serenely calm.

Volunteers hand out food, toiletries and sim cards. People waiting for trains talk and check for news from home. A nun kicks a football with two boys. An emergency responder wears a clown nose and makes kids laugh. A unicorn calls in for a visit.

przemysl-poland-17th-apr-2022-a-woman-shows-her-daughter-to-make-a-peace-sign-at-the-przemysl-poland-train-station-on-easter-sunday-near-the-border-of-ukraine-after-a-pink-unicorn-gives-her-can Volunteer Jennifer Grueninger entertaining children in Przemysl station. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Change of pace

Calm is also how Przemyśl Deputy Mayor Bogusław Świeży describes it. He says the city’s operation has shifted because fewer refugees are arriving than earlier phases of the war.

In late February and early March around 80,000 refugees arrived into the region every day; that figure has now dropped to 20,000.

While earlier in the war people stayed in the city for several days, most now depart for other parts of Poland or other EU countries within 48 hours. During their stay they are housed in the humanitarian centre. 

However, the local government still estimates that approximately 10,000 will remain in the city long-term.

“For the last week we have seen that more people have gone from Poland into Ukraine than from Ukraine into Poland. The situation switched in recent weeks,” Świeży explains.

The recent air strike in Lviv, which is just a little over 100 kilometres from Przemyśl, saw an uptick in people arriving in the city. But the deputy mayor says this was likely just a one-off occurrence.

“You must remember that in the west part of Ukraine there’s now about eight million people from the east who moved there at the start of the war. After something like the air strike in Lviv they will react and go to the border because they have the same situation at home.”

Volunteers

Świeży paid tribute to the countless volunteers who have travelled to Przemyśl to help Ukrainians arriving in Poland.

“Volunteers have come to us from all parts of the world. And we want to say thank you to all people who are helping us because without volunteers we can’t do what we’ve been able to do in Przemyśl in the last month.

“People have come from Japan, Brazil, Korea, all over Europe. So, we want to say thank you to all the people who have helped us.”

Among that army of volunteers is Nick Brown from Llandudno in north Wales. Nick first travelled to Krakow, Poland, where he worked in a first aid station and food shelter.

Now he’s helping people who are laden down with bags ferry them across Przemyśl station. He’s due to stay in the region for another two and a half weeks and plans to volunteer in Lviv if the situation allows it.

Not stopping for a moment, Nick outlines the set-up as we help a large family move their bags across the station, through a tunnel and up stairs that lead to passport control.

His accommodation is a gym mat in one of Przemyśl’s many churches but the Welsh grandfather appears to be enjoying the discomfort of it.

The family are going home to Odesa. We take the bags as far as we’re allowed and Nick wishes them on their way. They look disappointed that he can’t help for the rest of their journey.

The situation clearly takes an emotional toll on Nick as when he talks about Ukrainians frantically watching for news from home – and breaking down when the news is bad – he asks for a moment to compose himself.

He settles by saying he’s glad the Irish rugby team whipped England.

“I’m a grandfather,” Nick explains, “when I see the little children like these, I think of my grandson. And I couldn’t but help them.  

“Basically, I just couldn’t keep on watching it. I was hell-bent on coming out.”

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    Mute Clare McAfee
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 7:33 AM

    It doesn’t need reviewing, it needs to be added! I’m very happy for the limited few who now have access, because it’ll help them – but leaving chronic pain patients in the dark is just horrid. It’s bad enough being in daily pain without some idiot saying ah sure we’ll review it. I’m in pain now! Colorado have legalised medically for almost 20 years. Why the hold up?

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    Mute Brid Howard
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 12:36 PM

    @Clare McAfee: yes I agree, its unfair to leave us with the only option being highly addictive medication that needs to be increased regularly because of increased tolerance. Its soul destroying for those of us who want to be free of pain without a dependency on opioids.

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    Mute bread of heaven
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 2:15 PM

    @Clare McAfee: It’s shocking but not surprising that people are left in chronic pain when there’s a logical solution right at hand. These people are so two-faced. What kind of evidence do they want?

    The pharma companies have the government in their pocket. Simple as. You can’t fail but come to any other conclusion given the medicinal cannabis situation and when it’s draconian sentences for anyone convicted of any kind of cannabis-related offences while virtually all other offenders get ridiculously lenient sentences.

    Messed up world we live in.

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    Mute Clare McAfee
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 4:25 PM

    @bread of heaven: I was offered Amitriptyline yet again today – if I wanted to gain 30lbs and stay in bed all day and reduce my quality of life further with zero effect on my pain levels, by all means I’d take it… Lyrica got mentioned again.. seriously so sick of this. They don’t bloody work and make you feel awful.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 10:19 PM

    @Clare McAfee: I wish you all every luck at getting the scheme extended to chronic sufferers. It seems barbaric to deny you all access to a better and less costly analgesic.

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    Mute bread of heaven
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 11:56 PM

    @Clare McAfee: Serving corporations and lining their own pockets, that’s all they’re interested in. Serving the people comes a distant third, and even then it’s only if there’s no conflict with their real priorities.

    Have you tried cbd oil at all? That’s probably not strong enough for you, is it?

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    Mute This Is The Life
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 6:54 AM

    It’s about bloody time we started moving forward.

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    Mute Robert Phelan
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 10:52 AM

    @This Is The Life: it would be about bloody time that Harris just ask the medical professionals abroad.Harris is only delaying for his buddies in big pharma who are trying to synthesize cannabis which hasn’t worked out to well for them.In the mean time stop voting for these wasters

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 8:06 AM

    Why oh why are we so far behind the rest of the planet in doing the right thing?

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    Mute alan
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 11:02 AM

    @Rodger 5: because FG see this, as they see every single other thing, as a business opportunity. it takes time to allocate profit making projects to their friends and backers. in the meantime, suffer on. then when the time comes you will get the opportunity to put yet another business in the money.

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    Mute Bob Murphy
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    Jul 4th 2019, 2:33 PM

    @alan: “it takes time to allocate profit making projects to their friends and backers” you hit the nail on the head there.

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    Mute William Mcgee
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 8:10 AM

    Speaking as a person that has been taking opiates for years and now find that the do not work for me as with many others we should be given the option of trying other pain killers no matter what they call them be it cannabis or some others .

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    Mute Bob Murphy
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    Jul 4th 2019, 2:34 PM

    @William Mcgee: it just goes to prove the love of money is behind this – they’ll give you opiates but not cannabis … OMG

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    Mute Marianne
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 8:14 AM

    In the mean time people can just get on with constant pain…Hope they don’t expect anyone in my family to vote fr them

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    Mute Elizabeth Hourihane
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 11:12 AM

    This should be a no brainer as we have a huge problem with addiction to painkillers in this country, which eventually leads to heroin addiction.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 12:37 PM

    This is going to keep going and going until it’s fully legal, just do it so we can move on.

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    Mute Ken Green
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    Jul 3rd 2019, 4:53 PM

    Time to legalise for recreational as well as medical.

    will be legal eventually as many countries are now changing their laws But here we miles behind. Dictated too by a bunch of idiots that dont know the true benefits of cannabis..

    Seen an article about opening injecting centres in Dublin for 2020. So if i understand this right. The irish government will cater for heroin but the weed smoker gets fined or jailed. just legalise the weed

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    Oct 8th 2019, 5:47 PM

    I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005, and I was a woman of 40. They put me on Rebif which I took until 2008 and was switched to Copaxone. I had two relapses on Rebif, none on Copaxone. I did notice my balance getting worse, and my memory, as well as muscle spasms.I was placed on Copaxone, it helped me but not very much. My neurologist advised me to try natural treatments and introduced me to Rich Herbal Garden Multiple Sclerosis Disease Herbal formula, I read alot of positive reviews from other patients who used the treatment and i immediately started on the treatment. I had great improvement and relief with this treatment, total decline of symptoms. Great improvement with my Vision problems, co-ordination, balance, muscle, mood etc, I gained back my life with this treatment and can never be thankful enough. Visit Rich Herbal Garden official website w ww .Richherbalgardens .c om I’m 52 now, and have never been healthier.

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