Since the end of last year, it is no longer possible to have an abortion in Poland if the fetus is seriously injured.
The tightening of the already strict abortion legislation is noticeable in the Polish network "Abortion without Borders", which organizes legal abortions abroad.
According to the organization's own data, the number of women who have sought help in some form has tripled since October 2020.
More people get in touch
Polish women who want to have an abortion usually travel to Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Austria, the United Kingdom and sometimes Spain or Belgium.
- There are more women who get in touch now, says Polish Urzula Bertin.
She works for the sister organization Ciosia Basia, (Aunt Basia), which has been operating in Berlin since 2015.
- Above all, the number of women who travel here with the knowledge that their fetus is injured and who do not want to wait for what Polish law can offer them, to either give birth to a seriously injured child or wait for a miscarriage, is increasing.
It's torture in my opinion.
6-7 women a week
Recently, 6-7 Polish women a week have received help in Berlin, according to Urzula Bertin.
Half of them have been pregnant with a seriously injured fetus.
The organization books doctor visits, arranges accommodation and in some cases financing.
In Germany, women from Poland pay 250-350 euros for a medical abortion and 400-500 euros for a surgical abortion.
Urzula Bertin in a protest against stricter abortion laws in Poland.
Photo: Ciosia Basia
- The women are determined but tired.
Traveling here is usually associated with a lot of stress, but after the first examination it is usually easy, then they feel that it is nearing the end of a tough period.