Mastercard Uses Data to Help Ukrainian Refugees Find a Home

Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, almost 10 million refugees from the occupied territories have crossed the Polish border. Since then, Poland has welcomed more Ukrainian refugees than any other nation. However, many Ukrainians found shelter in major Polish cities that were already overcrowded, causing rental hikes and increased competition for jobs - all amidst an unprecedented rise in inflation.  

Mastercard set out to alleviate these challenges with the 'Where to settle' digital platform.

The online and mobile tool combines multiple datasets to lead refugees to the most promising areas in Poland to make their new homes. 20% of the 1.5  million refugees who have settled in Poland thus far have used the platform to find Polish cities outside of the major metropolitan areas to make a fresh start. 

Data for good 

The tool upholds Mastercard’s 'Data for Good' commitment to leverage data responsibly in the service of society. The company believes everyone should have access to economic opportunity. This project is part of Mastercard’s continuing efforts to help refugees from Ukraine and stabilise the lives of those who are settling in Poland.  

“We believe in taking action to make people's lives better,” said Jerzy Hołub, marketing director for Poland, Czech and Slovakia, Mastercard Europe. “The war in Ukraine has upended the lives of so many families and individuals and we couldn’t just stand by and watch. By combining our own data with that of local governments and businesses, we were able to create a tool that we hope will ease the unnecessary burdens of so many. In the process, we’re excited about helping more Polish communities prosper.”

Created with McCann Poland in cooperation with Morizon-Gratka Group, part of the biggest Polish news organisation, the comprehensive digital tool aggregates job and real estate data, Mastercard’s spending insights, as well as data from the Polish Central Statistical Office. 

“After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, our research found that the uncertainty of where to settle down with their families added undue stress to refugees’ already chaotic lives. With Mastercard and the various partners in this project, we were able to leverage data to create a robust, user-friendly tool to simplify the refugees’ decision  and hopefully bring more calm to their lives,” said Maria Gajkowska, senior strategic planner at McCann Poland. 

'Where to settle' asks those looking for new homes to input information such as preferred employment, family size and more. It then provides the average cost of living, salary, housing, and economic opportunities in various parts of the country, ultimately showing individuals and families the places where they will be most likely to thrive. More than 300.000 people looked for a place to stay, completed the form and signed up for help. The platform is now being updated with even more data like schools offering Ukrainian language education and useful links on where to get government and non-government support as well as healthcare to create an even more robust tool for users. 

The Polish government and the Association of Polish cities, the oldest Polish organisation of local governments, are supporting and promoting the tool. A campaign for the digital platform also features locals from various Polish cities inviting refugees to their towns and showing them the highlights and hotspots from each area.  

“Thanks to cooperation with our partners, we were able to implement amazing creative ideas that have a real impact on the quality of life of refugees in our country. The ‘Where to Settle’ campaign allows for great number of grassroots initiatives and opens up new avenues for multidimensional and enduring aid for refugees from Ukraine,” said Marcin Sosiński, managing director and executive creative director at McCann Poland. “We’re excited about building out the platform with  more data to make the process even easier for refugees and others hoping to settle in Poland.”