In various Polish cities, there has been an increase in attacks and acts of discrimination against Ukrainians. Insults on the streets, threats, humiliation, and even physical assaults are becoming commonplace for those who moved to Poland seeking a new, safe life after the start of the war.
In the center of Bydgoszcz, two men shouted «F*** Ukrainians, f*** foreigners» at Ukrainian children in traditional costumes who were passing by. Journalist Adam Wajrak stepped in to defend the children. «I didn’t think such incidents were possible in Poland during the day,» he later remarked.
In mid-May in Wrocław, a man threatened a Ukrainian woman with a nine-year-old child using a gun. In the same city, the police have been searching for a year for the attackers who brutally beat a Ukrainian man in a store. And in Kraków, three teenagers attacked a peer with a machete.
Ukrainians in Warsaw share their personal stories. Journalist Zoryana Varenya recalls being called a «Russian b***h» on the street for speaking Ukrainian (she was on the phone with her mother, who remained in Kyiv).
Diana, a waitress at one of Warsaw’s cafés, reports that threats and insults can also come from customers. Recently, a drunk patron told a Ukrainian employee that in Poland she could be a «wh***» instead of a waitress. Another customer aggressively berated foreign staff for allegedly taking jobs from Poles and demanded they return home.
According to a survey by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CBOS), Polish sympathy for Ukrainians has dropped by 11% over the past year, while hostility has risen by 17% — to 30%. Experts attribute this to fake news about «extravagant» benefits for Ukrainians and the rhetoric of certain politicians.
Sociologists warn that the state has not introduced systemic solutions for the integration of millions of refugees, leaving it to society to handle. In schools, Ukrainian children are often isolated from their Polish peers, which reinforces «ghettoization.»
Legal experts remind that insults and attacks based on nationality are criminal offenses. However, many Ukrainians are afraid to report to the police, fearing they won’t be taken seriously.