It began with a violent crime. In June, within the centre of Torun, central-north Poland, a Venezuelan man stabbed 24-year-old Klaudia, a Polish lady, to dying as she was strolling residence from work by means of a park.
That horrific incident led to a silent march by 1000’s of protesters by means of Torun on Sunday, July 6. Native media reported that the march had been organised by supporters of the far-right Konfederacja political alliance and other people carried indicators saying “cease unlawful immigration”.
Then got here the rumours and misinformation. On July 14, somebody in Walbrzych, southwestern Poland, known as the police to report a Paraguayan man who had allegedly taken photos of kids on a playground.
The police stopped the person however didn’t discover something incriminating on his telephone. That didn’t cease two Polish males from beating him up quickly afterwards. And, the following day, a bunch of about 50 folks stormed the hostel he and different migrants have been residing in. Some folks threw flares into the constructing, and the proprietor has since been compelled to shut the hostel down.
In latest weeks, anti-migrant sentiment in Poland has been on the rise, spurred by far-right rhetoric, which asserts that Poland has been flooded with “unconstrained unlawful migration”. Claims that migrants take native jobs and that they pose a risk to Poles each bodily and figuratively, with their “international life-style”, are frequent and even inspired by lawmakers.
One MP from Konfederacja – Konrad Berkowicz from Krakow – advised TOK FM radio: “Xenophobia is a crucial aspect of our nationwide unity. Condemning xenophobia and stifling it within the West has led to rapes and terrorist acts, that’s why we should always cherish xenophobia.”
Elmi Abdi, 62, a Somali who got here to Poland in 1996 as a refugee, advised Al Jazeera: “At present, migrants are seen as liable for all of Poland’s issues; we’re scapegoats that each one events assault, despite the fact that politicians understand it’s all unfaithful.” At present, Abdi is head of the Good Begin basis, which helps migrants, providing assist with entry to language courses, authorized help and different issues.
“It’s unhappy as a result of we [immigrants] do all the things to work safely right here, pay taxes, and combine into society.”
As misinformation – comparable to within the Walbrzych incident – about immigrants spreads, the Polish Migration Discussion board, a rights group, has known as the environment in Poland “pre-pogrom-like”.
“What distinguishes at the moment’s scenario is the violence. We’re in a really unhealthy place,” mentioned Agnieszka Kosowicz, head of the discussion board. “Acts of violence already happen, persons are topic to insults, threats and shows of hostility and contempt. This can be a very alarming scenario that requires a decisive response from the state.”
Rumours of ‘unlawful returns’
On July 7, Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania. That adopted related restrictions Germany imposed earlier within the yr to discourage asylum seekers from coming into by means of Poland.
Poland can be now actively monitoring the return of migrants – each asylum and non-asylum seekers – by the German police, as per European Union guidelines. These are individuals who arrived in Poland from exterior the EU earlier than crossing to Germany.
These returns of migrants by the German authorities are authorized, however as rumours on the web about “unlawful returns” of migrants proceed to unfold, unofficial, far-right patrols have appeared on the borders to observe the scenario and make “citizen arrests” of people they consider to be coming into the nation illegally – to date with out a lot success.
The EU accused Belarusian and Russian authorities of fomenting the EU’s migration disaster to destabilise the continent, by encouraging folks from the World South to journey to Belarus after which onwards into Europe through Poland.
In 2022, Poland constructed a fence alongside the border with Belarus to stop migrants from coming into the nation irregularly. The fence, nevertheless, did little to bodily cease migrants from coming in.
So, in March this yr, Poland suspended the precise to say asylum altogether in a bid to discourage folks from coming.
All of this has served to fire up anti-migrant concern in Poland, which has been additional amplified by far-right teams for their very own political functions.
‘We’re being humiliated’
The hysteria reached a brand new excessive practically two weeks in the past, when, on Saturday, July 19, anti-migrant marches organised by the far-right Konfederacja social gathering and soccer followers swept by means of 80 Polish cities and cities, shouting racist slurs and slogans.
Sixteen-year-old Nikola, who didn’t need to give her surname, advised Al Jazeera that she had travelled 125km (80 miles) from her residence in Gorlice, southern Poland, to attend the march in Krakow. She mentioned she got here alongside after watching movies on YouTube claiming that, in Western Europe, persons are “afraid to depart their houses” due to the variety of undocumented immigrants.
She mentioned it was essential to her to hitch a trigger that “unites Poles at the moment”.
“I needed to be a part of a group. Persons are exhibiting these on the prime that they care about safety and that Poland is our nation. We should always do all the things we will to stop what’s taking place in Western Europe,” she mentioned.
“I’d prefer to really feel protected in my metropolis, and I’ve already seen a number of individuals who regarded like they don’t seem to be from right here,” she added.
On the march, Nikola joined a big column of a number of hundred folks, a lot of them carrying Polish patriotic T-shirts and logos of the Wisla soccer membership, strolling to Market Sq.. On the way in which, they handed vacationers, a few of whom have been filming the protesters.
Three aged ladies proudly waved white-and-red Polish flags among the many soccer followers. “The nation has had sufficient of what’s taking place. It’s waking up as a result of we’re residing below terror, being humiliated,” mentioned Danuta, 60, who additionally didn’t need to give her full title. “The borders usually are not sealed and need to be defended by civilians,” she added, referring to the right-wing teams who patrol the Polish-German border.
On Market Sq. within the centre of the town, the march crossed paths with a smaller counterdemonstration organised by native left-wing teams, and the 2 teams exchanged insults whereas separated by the police.
The police didn’t document any main incidents throughout the day. However Abdi and different migrants Al Jazeera spoke with by phone mentioned they didn’t dare to depart their houses on Saturday.
Pretend information followers the flames
In response to consultants, anti-migrant sentiment in Poland has been spurred by misinformation and faux information in regards to the variety of folks coming into the nation, which doesn’t mirror actuality.
“Poland just isn’t experiencing any large-scale irregular migration,” mentioned Kosowicz. “Inside the Dublin process [under EU rules], Germany returns individuals who claimed asylum in Poland after which crossed into Germany. In 2024, there have been 688 such folks, and this yr – 318. That is nothing new.”
In response to the Worldwide Migration Outlook report for 2024 from the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Improvement (OECD), 2.2 % of Poland’s inhabitants was foreign-born in 2023. That is low in contrast with different European international locations such because the UK (15.4 %), Germany (18.2 %) and France (13.8 %).
In 2022, 152,000 immigrants obtained residence permits for multiple yr in Poland, the OECD mentioned.
On the Polish-Belarusian border, which has been utilized by migrants from World South international locations making an attempt to achieve Europe since 2021, incoming numbers of migrants haven’t been notably excessive, both. In response to official knowledge, from January to late June this yr, 15,022 unlawful crossing makes an attempt have been recorded, of which solely 5 % have been profitable.
In 2024, there have been practically 30,000 makes an attempt, out of which, against this, one-third (10,900) have been profitable. In 2021, earlier than Poland constructed a fence on the border with Belarus, the variety of makes an attempt reached 52,000.
Kosowicz additionally blames the federal government, which she says has didn’t construct consciousness in regards to the prices and advantages of improvement and migration, making all foreigners potential victims of hate assaults.
“A examine by Deloitte and UNHCR says that 2.7 % of Polish GDP comes solely from the work of Ukrainian refugees. However this isn’t the knowledge we hear from politicians,” she mentioned.
Abdi, who’s married to a Polish lady with whom he has two youngsters, worries tremendously about their future.
“After I arrived right here, the Poles welcomed me splendidly, and I care deeply about Poland; it’s my residence. I need it to be protected for everybody,” he advised Al Jazeera in fluent Polish.
“On the marches, folks shout that they need a white Poland. I’m sufficiently old, I’m not afraid of something. However I’m anxious about my youngsters.”