How can Germany and Poland better support refugees with disabilities and their family caregivers?

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has displaced millions, including persons with disabilities and their family caregivers. Germany and Poland have mobilized significant resources, yet refugees with disabilities still encounter persistent barriers in healthcare, social protection, housing, employment and community-based support. Caregivers — mostly women — remain largely invisible in migration and disability policies despite sustaining daily care, coordinating services and enabling social participation.

Within the framework of the trilateral (Germany, Poland, Lithuania) program “It’s Ability” by INKuLtur a policy brief was developed which examines the challenges faced by refugees with disabilities and their caregivers, drawing on the Invisible Care, Unmet Needs study and expert discussions held in Berlin and Warsaw in 2026. It highlights gaps in healthcare, social protection, housing, employment and community-based support, and presents concrete recommendations for policymakers and public authorities.

The paper calls for more coordinated, disability-inclusive and long-term approaches that recognise family caregivers as an important policy group and ensure their meaningful participation in the design of services and policies.

The full policy paper can be found here:

Policy Paper: Displacement, Disability and Care