Priceless paper: Refugees get IDs for new lives in Poland

Ukrainian refugees sitting on the bench near a special application point at the National Stadium in Warsaw. Photos: Czarek Sokolowski/AP

Hoping to restore some normalcy after fleeing the war in Ukraine, thousands of refugees waited in long lines last Saturday (March 19) in the Polish capital of Warsaw to get identification cards that will allow them to get on with their lives – at least for now.

Refugees started queuing by Warsaw's National Stadium overnight to get the coveted PESEL identity cards that will allow them to work, live, go to school and get medical care or social benefits for the next 18 months.