Anti-Ukrainian sentiment has intensified in Poland, with Ukrainian migrants and refugees reporting growing hostility in public spaces, workplaces and schools since early 2025, according to a report released Tuesday.
The report, We Are Not at Home: Ukrainian Migrants and Refugees on Relations with Poles, was published by the Polish NGO Instytut Krytyki Politycznej and authored by migration researcher Olena Babakova and sociologist Przemyslaw Sadura.
The report is based on interviews with Ukrainian migrants and refugees about their experiences.
According to the report's authors, experiences described by respondents indicate that anti-Ukrainian sentiment is no longer limited to online discourse and is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Ukrainians living in Poland.
Based on in-depth interviews with 25 Ukrainian migrants and refugees, including both people who arrived after Russia’s war that began in 2022 and longer-term labor migrants, the study found that "almost all interviewees register a rise in anti-Ukrainian sentiment," including those who have lived in Poland for more than a decade or hold Polish citizenship.
Many respondents identified Poland's 2025 presidential election campaign as the point at which anti-Ukrainian rhetoric became noticeably more visible. Others argued that relations between Poles and Ukrainians had always been difficult.
The authors said respondents reported discrimination in housing, employment, schools, and healthcare but said the most common incidents occurred in public spaces, particularly on public transport.
Many interviewees said speaking Ukrainian or having a Ukrainian accent frequently triggered verbal abuse or intimidating behavior.
Only one of the 25 interviewees described challenging an aggressor by recording the encounter on a mobile phone.
The authors also highlighted what respondents described as more subtle forms of discrimination, including landlords refusing to rent to Ukrainians, hostile comments from medical professionals unrelated to treatment, and perceived double standards in universities.
While public support for Ukraine remains strong overall, opinion polls have shown a gradual decline in sympathy towards Ukrainian refugees over the past two years, amid concerns over welfare benefits, labor market competition, and historical disputes.
