Why Poland's attitude toward Ukrainians is changing and whether it can be reversed
In the spring of 2022, Polish politicians competed over who could offer the most support to Kyiv. They are competing nowadays over who can hit Ukrainians the hardest.
The most-watched YouTube debates over the past year have revolved around claims that Ukraine is allegedly exploiting Poland and that Donald Tusk’s incompetent government is failing to take a tough stance against Kyiv.
Read more about how Poland’s attitude toward Ukrainians has shifted in the article by Olena Babakova, a journalist from Warsaw – Unwelcoming Poland: how Ukrainians became hostages of elections in a neighbouring country.
In May 2022, Polish President Andrzej Duda addressed the Ukrainian parliament, receiving a standing ovation when he declared that Ukrainians in Poland were not refugees but guests.
This distinction highlighted that Ukrainians were welcomed more warmly than typical refugees, an approach that many Ukrainians found reassuring back then.
Three years later, the contrast is striking: refugees have rights, while guests depend on the shifting moods of their hosts.
Both the Polish government and opposition justify their tougher stance on Ukraine and Ukrainians with two key arguments: that Poland’s support for Ukrainian refugees was unconditional and limitless, and that scaling back this assistance aligns with public sentiment.
Once again, social media is flooded with claims that Ukrainians are living off Polish taxpayer money, despite economic experts leaving no doubt that Poland’s economy benefits from the presence of Ukrainian refugees.
As for the second argument, a 2023 CBOS poll found that only 40% of Poles viewed Ukrainians positively, an 11% drop from the previous year.
According to research by the Mieroszewski Center, the words most frequently associated with Ukrainians by Poles are "demanding" and "cunning."
Additionally, 56% of Poles expect their Ukrainian neighbours to return home after the war.
When analysing the deterioration of Polish attitudes toward Ukrainians, it’s important to note two factors.
First, Poles are not only frustrated with Ukrainians.
With uncertain relations with the US, ongoing political scandals, and constant restrictions on women’s reproductive rights, taking something away from Ukrainians may not bring Poles joy, but it can provide a sense of fairness.
Second, and rarely discussed, is the fact that Polish society has undergone unprecedented demographic changes over the past decade. Poland has transitioned from a country of emigration to one that now hosts 3 million foreigners.
In the past, Poles only encountered small groups of temporary migrants, mainly students and agricultural workers. Today, hundreds of thousands of people with diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and aspirations reside in the country.
Instead of easing tensions, which are objectively not as severe as those in Germany or the UK, first PiS and Confederation, and now Civic Coalition, have continued to stoke fears.
Unsurprisingly, Poles who are constantly bombarded with messages about migrant rights, alleged ingratitude, dangerous immigration, and foreign threats are demanding that the government ensure their security. And along with that, they want a clear demonstration of who’s in charge.
"The media constantly talk about how much Poland helps Ukraine, but never about how important Ukrainians are to the Polish labour market, demographics, and how much they contribute in taxes and social security payments," says Miroslava Keryk, president of the Ukrainian House foundation, which has worked on Ukrainian integration in Poland for two decades.
Meanwhile, the number of Ukrainians in Poland eligible to vote is growing. In the past few years alone, tens of thousands of Ukrainian immigrants have gained voting rights, enough to form a significant electoral bloc in cities like Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, and Kraków.
Could this open a window of opportunity for Poland’s left? They are the only political force that has not participated in the anti-migrant rhetoric of recent years.