u/Severe-Mortgage-2876

Hello everyone,
I am writing this because my family is currently planning to seek collective protection in Iceland under Article 44, and I want to hear the unfiltered truth from locals and expats before we make this massive decision.
Our situation is complex. We are a large Ukrainian family traveling together:
• 3 healthy people (my wife, our 3-year-old child, and myself).
• Two relatives, Oleksandr and Iryna (around 55 y.o.), who have severe Cerebral Palsy and other comorbidities. We have official medical documents from Ukraine stating they require constant, round-the-clock care.
• My 77-year-old grandmother, who is completely bedridden after a severe stroke. She doesn't need much, but a specialized medical bed is absolutely critical for her survival.
Our goal and our main dilemma: We are not looking for a free ride. As soon as we get our paperwork sorted, the healthy adults (my wife and I) want to find jobs immediately and support the family. We just want a safe, quiet place where my grandmother can live out her final days far from the war.
However, we face a massive barrier: the constant care required for Oleksandr and Iryna. We are not sure if we can find local care specialists right away, or how much that would even cost. We want to know how this works in Iceland: is there some sort of financial assistance or allowance that would allow us to hire professional caregivers so my wife and I can go to work? Or does the Icelandic system allow family members to be officially employed and paid by the state as caregivers for their disabled relatives?
I have been reading a lot of rumors, and I want to ask you directly:

1. What is the real attitude towards Ukrainians right now? Is there growing hate or resentment? Do locals feel like we are coming to drain tax money or burden your healthcare/social system with our heavily disabled relatives? Please be brutally honest.
2. The Reality of Social Help & Caregiving: How realistic is it to get a medical bed for my grandmother provided by the system in the beginning? And how does Iceland handle the situation where refugees need 24/7 caregiving? Will we be stuck at home unable to work, or is there a functional support system for families like ours?
   Thank you in advance for your time and honesty. We want to know exactly what we are walking into.

Hello everyone,
I am writing this because my family is currently planning to seek collective protection in Iceland under Article 44, and I want to hear the unfiltered truth from locals and expats before we make this massive decision.
Our situation is complex. We are a large Ukrainian family traveling together:
• 3 healthy people (my wife, our 3-year-old child, and myself).
• Two relatives, Oleksandr and Iryna (around 55 y.o.), who have severe Cerebral Palsy and other comorbidities. We have official medical documents from Ukraine stating they require constant, round-the-clock care.
• My 77-year-old grandmother, who is completely bedridden after a severe stroke. She doesn't need much, but a specialized medical bed is absolutely critical for her survival.
Our goal and our main dilemma: We are not looking for a free ride. As soon as we get our paperwork sorted, the healthy adults (my wife and I) want to find jobs immediately and support the family. We just want a safe, quiet place where my grandmother can live out her final days far from the war.
However, we face a massive barrier: the constant care required for Oleksandr and Iryna. We are not sure if we can find local care specialists right away, or how much that would even cost. We want to know how this works in Iceland: is there some sort of financial assistance or allowance that would allow us to hire professional caregivers so my wife and I can go to work? Or does the Icelandic system allow family members to be officially employed and paid by the state as caregivers for their disabled relatives?
I have been reading a lot of rumors, and I want to ask you directly:

1. What is the real attitude towards Ukrainians right now? Is there growing hate or resentment? Do locals feel like we are coming to drain tax money or burden your healthcare/social system with our heavily disabled relatives? Please be brutally honest.
2. The Reality of Social Help & Caregiving: How realistic is it to get a medical bed for my grandmother provided by the system in the beginning? And how does Iceland handle the situation where refugees need 24/7 caregiving? Will we be stuck at home unable to work, or is there a functional support system for families like ours?
   Thank you in advance for your time and honesty. We want to know exactly what we are walking into.

Hello everyone. I want to apologize right away if I am breaking any community rules. But this is my life and my story.
I am the head of my family. I am 30 years old and work as an optical engineer, and my wife is a medical worker in a maternity hospital. My father-in-law has cerebral palsy and is bedridden, my mother-in-law has cerebral palsy and is bedridden, and my grandmother is also bedridden.
We lost our home in southern Ukraine due to a missile strike.
I have made the decision to emigrate with my family to the city of Lublin, Poland.
To be completely honest, I feel lost and don't really know how to navigate this or where to start.

Some acquaintances have told me that Poles hate Ukrainians and blame us for all their problems. I honestly don't know what the reality is. I would be very grateful if you could share your true perspectives so I can understand what the community in Lublin is really like.

I would also deeply appreciate any advice on how the social protection system works. Will my wife, my father-in-law (who has cerebral palsy), and I be able to find work, or perhaps for me to continue operating as a sole proprietor (JDG), so we can officially pay taxes into the Polish budget?

Can we count on any assistance with integrating into society? We are not moving to live on the streets, just take your money, or be a burden on your taxpayers. We simply want to know if there is any initial support available to help us get on our feet.

Does anyone know of specific charitable foundations or NGOs in Lublin that assist with translating documents (especially medical records) and finding accessible housing for people with severe disabilities? Also, what specific support can my family members expect as disabled individuals with the UKR status?