Poland is getting a loan of 450 million euros ($474 million) from a bank linked to a European human rights group to help it cope with the influx of refugees fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Poland and the Council of Europe Development Bank signed the loan agreement Friday.
Some 4.3 million refugees crossed into Poland after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Poland is providing them with free shelter, social and medical care, education, and job opportunities.
Many have moved on to other countries and some have decided to go back home, but an estimated half of the number remains in Poland.
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Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki singled out the European Union earlier this month, saying its decision-making procedures for providing financial support are “sometimes too slow.”
The Council of Europe has 46 member countries, including EU nations, and aims to protect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
The Paris-based bank was founded in 1956 and finances projects with a social mission.
