Dozens of Ukrainian refugees living in Poland have shared harrowing experiences of abuse, bullying and xenophobia, with many reporting a significant rise in anti-Ukrainian sentiment in recent months. A mother, known as Svitlana, recounted how her daughter was told to “go back to Ukraine” at school, while others have faced similar abuse on public transport and online. This shift in attitude is attributed to Poland’s polarizing presidential election campaign, which has exacerbated tensions between Poles and Ukrainians.
Svitlana’s daughter was particularly traumatized after a Russian missile attack on her hometown in Ukraine killed scores of civilians, including children. The abuse escalated when girls from a higher class started pretending to fall to the ground, shouting “Missile! Get down!” and laughing. Svitlana fears reprisals and has asked not to be identified.
Natalia Panchenko, head of the “Stand with Ukraine” Foundation, notes that while many Poles still support Ukraine, some don’t, and her organization has noticed a surge in anti-Ukrainian online abuse. Research suggests Poland’s public opinion of Ukrainians is worsening, with only 50% of Poles in favor of accepting Ukrainian refugees, down from 81% two years ago.
The upcoming presidential election has brought these tensions to the forefront, with some candidates fueling anti-Ukrainian sentiment. Far-right populist Slawomir Mentzen is virulently anti-Ukrainian, while conservative Karol Nawrocki opposes EU and NATO membership for Ukraine. In contrast, Rafal Trzaskowski, the front-runner, supports Ukraine but has tempered his pro-Ukrainian stance to attract centrist voters.
