Are Poles really against immigrants?

The invasion of Ukraine is being felt across Europe. Already hundreds of thousands of displaced Ukrainians are spilling out west in an attempt to flee Russian hostility. Polish society and the conservative government have, on the whole, supported refugees from their troubled eastern neighbour.

A recent poll shows that 53 per cent of Poles are in favour of taking in Ukrainian war refugees, compared to just 22 per cent against. In Germany, attitudes are more divided, with 41 per cent supporting the settlement of Ukrainian refugees compared to 38 per cent against. More than half of the supporters of the radical right nationalist Confederation party, whose detractors have long accused it of being pro-Putin, are in favour of bringing Ukrainian refugees to Poland. Meanwhile, Poland’s deputy defence minister Marcin Ociepa has pledged to take in ‘as many refugees as possible’.

In recent years, Poland has seen a large influx of immigrants, primarily Ukrainians and Belarusians (with smaller numbers from other post-Soviet states, particularly Georgia and Moldova) – although East Asians are also a growing presence; it is not uncommon to see Indian migrants playing cricket in Warsaw’s parks.