For this UNHCR protection monitor in Poland, the work is deeply personal

Valentyn Kuzmyn, a protection monitor with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, spends his working hours delivering care and protection to refugees arriving at the Przemysl train station on Poland’s border with Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the train station has served as a first point of refuge for many people fleeing Ukraine. Nearly three years into the war, hundreds are still arriving each day. The number arriving continues to increase as winter’s cold descends on the region and electricity outages spike across Ukraine.

Valentyn's work is deeply personal — he and his family are refugees from Ukraine. Valentyn and his family fled Kharkiv in March 2022, finding safety in Poland. Exempt from military service because he has five children, Valentyn began seeking other ways to support fellow Ukrainian refugees. His search landed him a job with UNHCR.

“I'm lucky to support refugees, to work with people like me,” shares Valentyn. 

Wearing blue outerwear synonymous with UNHCR, Valentyn is immediately recognizable to those passing through the station. He’s a vital source of information for refugees in transit and also a source of calm and relief.

Lyuba and her children know this firsthand.

Last month, Valentyn approached Lyuba and her children outside the station’s passport control office when he noticed that she was emotionally distressed. She didn’t speak Polish and struggled to communicate that she had missed her train connection. The moment Lyuba heard Valentyn speak Ukrainian, her spirits lifted. The family was frantically trying to get to Lviv, Ukraine, to see the children’s father.

“Last year, the children had 10 days with their father, and this is the second time to see their father [since February 2022],” Lyuba explains. “He has only 10 days of leave because he's fighting on the front line.”

Without hesitation, Valentyn took Lyuba’s luggage so she could comfort her young son and brought the family to the station ticketing office to assist in booking them on the afternoon train to Lviv. In a few brief moments, Valentyn not only helped ease Lyuba’s distress, but he was able to find out information about when the family first arrived in Poland, their living situation, the children’s school enrollment and her employment situation — all vital details that help UNHCR deliver emergency and long-term care to refugees in the region.

Back on the train platform with new tickets in hand, Lyuba shared that her daughter, Anastasia, was particularly excited about returning to Lviv. “When she received information that she could see her father, she just forgot everything, and just every thought was about how to see her father,” Lyuba shares with a smile. “The last two days she was only talking about father,” she continues. “It is complicated, it's difficult and very far away from home, but they must see their father.”

Valentyn's interaction with Lyuba and her children is part of a typical working day. He joined UNHCR as a protection monitor in November 2022 and has conducted more than 1,000 interviews with refugees arriving at the station. 

Poland hosts nearly one million Ukrainian refugees, and while many come to the country through the Przemysl train station, the overwhelming majority will not stay in border communities but continue on to larger cities like Lublin, Krakow and Warsaw. In the two years since Valentyn started his job, he’s seen the needs of refugees arriving change. 

“In the last months, we’ve met more vulnerable cases,” shares Valentyn. “When [refugees] arrive for the first time, they always need information. People are really lost. They don't speak Polish, they don't speak English,” he continues. 

In addition to the interviews, Valentyn estimates that he has helped thousands because he speaks fluent Ukrainian, Polish, English and even a little Spanish. 

“It’s a good experience [working with UNHCR]. You can always feel the result of your work, and it's always fast,” shares Valentyn. “But also, I see my colleagues who are working with community-based protection, I see the long-term support, and it's very important for those refugees.” 

How can you help...

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, supports the full journey of refugees who have been forced to flee violence, war and persecution. Our donors help refugees in their greatest time of need with shelter, food, water and medical care, and their support builds awareness for resettled refugees living in the U.S. With your help, more refugees will have the opportunity to build peaceful lives and give their families a bright future.