President Komorowski has signed an amendment on the law regarding compensation to citizens deported to carry out forced labour for the occupants during World War II.

The existing law approved compensation to Polish citizens deported by the Nazis or Soviets to territories beyond Poland's pre-war borders.

However, whilst the majority of the deportations were to areas in the heart of the Nazi Reich, or Soviet wildernesses such as Siberia, a significant number of Poles were sent to perform forced labour within occupied Poland.

It has been estimated that at least 5000 Poles may be eligible under the new specifications.

Claims for all such cases are only valid if the claimant carried out at least 6 months.

According to the latest historical research, 1.7 million people were deported from Nazi-occupied Poland to work in the Reich. Likewise, about 800,000 were deported by the Soviets, largely to Siberia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. (nh)

Source: PAP