The Victims of Oppression are persons who suffered the most acute political, ethnic and racial persecutions on part of the totalitarian regimes: the Nazi regime of 1939-1945, the Soviet one of 1939-1956 and the Polish communist regime og 1944-1956. This group of eligible beneficiary includes persons confined to prisons, penal camps and ghettoes, and also deported deep into the Soviet Union. An additional category cosists of children taken away from their parents for the purposes of either extermination or germanization.

The veterans' rights are granted to Polish citizens or persons who were Polish citizens when participating in the struggles for independence or suffering from oppression.

To Victims of Oppression who have been granted the relevant rights, various pecuniary benefits and privileges are due, which include among other things:

• addition to the length of employment twice the period of independence activities,
• an additional holiday of 10 working days a year,
• a monthly pecuniary allowance of about PLN 420 (about  € 100),
• 50% reduction of the city transport fares,
• 51% reduction of the domestic railway and bus transport fares.

Victims of Oppression are also granted priority in the acces to community welfare services and homes for the elderly. Persons in difficult financial situation may recieve summary financial assistance.