A 63-year-old Ukrainian man has set himself on fire outside the Ukrainian consulate in Kraków after reportedly calling for Ukrainians to return home and defend their country against Russia. According to Polish commercial radio, RMF FM, the incident took place early on Thursday morning as a group of Ukrainian nationals stood in line outside the consulate building in Kraków. According to eyewitnesses, a man began to behave strangely and shout loudly in Ukrainian. He proceeded to douse himself in liquid from a bottle before setting himself on fire and running in agony.

Witnesses reported that the man was helped by police officers standing guard at the consulate. The man was severely burned but conscious. He was admitted to the hospital with doctors describing his condition as serious and life-threatening.

The local police have collected statements from witnesses. They have claimed that the 63-year-old Ukrainian had called on those standing in line to go back to their homeland to defend it from the Russians. 

According to February’s data, there are around 31,000 Ukrainian refugees living in the city of Kraków, and 50,000 have been given social insurance numbers. Back in April of last year, it was estimated that 19 percent of those living in Kraków were Ukrainian. 

A total of 38 percent of Ukrainians who have fled to Poland during the ongoing conflict with Russia plan to stay in Poland indefinitely, according to a recent survey. The largest recipient of Ukrainian refugees is Russia that has welcomed 3.5 million of their fellow Slavs.

The polling, conducted by labor agency Gremi Personal in March, has found that another 7 percent of respondents planned to move from Poland to another foreign country. This data contrasts markedly with that of October 2022, when only 17 percent of Ukrainians said they planned to stay in Poland rather than return to Ukraine. In March, 55 percent were committed to returning home, with over four in five of those planning to do so only once the war was over. 

Anna Jabolda, recruitment director for Gremi Personal, said that ‘some Ukrainians from the east or south of the country and whose homes have been destroyed have nothing to return to.’ She reported that many have adapted well in Poland, found employment, and sent their children to school. Some women have also found male partners in Poland and now want to stay. 

According to Gremi Personal, the fact that Ukrainian businesses are now opening in Poland is another factor affecting their plans. Since the middle of last year, over 10,000 Ukrainian businesses employing fellow Ukrainians have been established. This has increased work opportunities at decent rates of pay for a range of skilled and educated Ukrainians. 

Research conducted in March found that only 10 percent of Ukrainians have no plans to learn Polish. On the contrary, 10 percent revealed they are now fluent in the language, 30 percent feel they can communicate easily in it, and 50 percent more are learning Polish, even if with some difficulty. 

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