After Russia launched its war against Ukraine, Poland showed extraordinary hospitality, taking in nearly a million Ukrainian refugees. But two years later, public sentiment in the country has shifted dramatically. As the second round of Poland’s presidential elections approaches, far-right and nationalist politicians are weaponizing the topic of Ukrainian refugees — spreading fear, inciting hatred, and rallying support through divisive rhetoric. Against this political backdrop, everyday instances of discrimination, threats, and even physical violence against Ukrainians are becoming more frequent.
According to Der Spiegel, the harrowing story of the Dovzhenko family is just one example of this rising hostility. Oksana and Bohdan (names changed for safety) arrived in Poland with their three children and two elderly relatives. On the very first day, as they moved into a rental home outside Warsaw, a neighbor shouted at them to “get the hell out” for parking near his fence. Another woman yelled from a window for them to leave. The landlord later informed them that both neighboring households had “a problem with Ukrainians.”
Since then, their lives have been plagued by constant harassment. The neighbors repositioned their surveillance cameras to record the Ukrainian family’s home and yard. There are complaints nearly every day: that the children make too much noise while playing, that a pipe is allegedly angled incorrectly, spilling water onto another yard, that the grandfather’s daytime woodworking is too loud, or even that the family’s barbecue produces an offensive smell. The police are regularly called — sometimes even at 10 p.m. — yet no violations have ever been found. Despite facing threats like “you should be gassed” and “we’ll tear your children’s arms off,” the police dismissed the complaints due to “lack of evidence.”
Social Fatigue or Political Manipulation?
What the Dovzhenkos are enduring is not an isolated case. As sociologist and extremism researcher Rafał Pankowski from Collegium Civitas explains, anti-Ukrainian incidents are on the rise. Pankowski is the founder of Nigdy Więcej (“Never Again”), an organization documenting xenophobic acts in Poland. He says reports now come in daily — from workplace harassment to “accidental” street violence like tripping or shoving.
A poll by the CBOS research institute highlights the dramatic shift in public opinion. In March 2022, 94% of surveyed Poles supported accepting Ukrainian refugees. By autumn 2024, that number had dropped to just 53%. The shift coincided with a grain dispute between Poland and Ukraine, which led to mass protests by Polish farmers and border blockades. However, Pankowski insists the root cause lies deeper — not in economics, but in anxiety over societal change.
“Poland has long been a homogeneous society. That changed after February 24, 2022,” he explains. “In just a few weeks, Poland became a multicultural country — and for many Poles, this reality is hard to accept.”
The Threat of “Ukrainization” and the Ukropolin Conspiracy Theory
Far-right politicians have seized on this anxiety. One of the first to openly incite hatred was EU parliamentarian Grzegorz Braun, who spread the conspiracy theory “Ukropolin,” claiming the Polish government was preparing for Poland’s “absorption” by Ukraine and Jews. Though such views were once fringe, Braun surprisingly garnered 6% of the vote in the presidential election’s first round. Another far-right candidate, Sławomir Mentzen of the “Konfederacja” party, captured 15%. Both claim that Ukrainians are abusing welfare benefits and causing longer wait times at medical facilities.
Even mainstream politicians are echoing this rhetoric. Karol Nawrocki, the candidate supported by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, has repeatedly stated: “I don’t believe Ukrainians should live better in Poland than Poles.” He argues that Ukrainian refugees are straining the country’s healthcare system. His opponent, liberal Rafał Trzaskowski, while less extreme, also proposed cutting the “800 plus” social benefits for unemployed Ukrainians, stating that Poland shouldn’t “send the same signal as Germany — that it’s worth coming here just for the welfare.”
History as a Political Weapon
Historical manipulation also plays a role. Polish politicians frequently invoke the Volhynia Massacre, where around 100,000 Poles were killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II. Nawrocki, for instance, has made exhuming the victims of Volhynia a precondition for supporting Ukraine’s NATO membership. According to Pankowski, this is blatant anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
“These statements target not the Ukrainian government, but the refugees. They become scapegoats — projections of collective fear,” the expert warns.
Children Too Ashamed to Speak Their Language
The damage goes beyond politics. Bohdan Dovzhenko recalls that his son recently confided in him: he’s afraid to speak Ukrainian at school and ashamed of his heritage. A child too frightened to acknowledge his identity — this is the human cost of politically fueled hate.
Poland’s rapidly shifting attitude toward Ukrainians is a stark reminder of how quickly solidarity can curdle into xenophobia when manipulated for electoral gain. As Der Spiegel stresses, Ukrainian refugees now find themselves fleeing not just a war-torn homeland, but also a new kind of war — one waged for votes, at their expense.
This article was prepared based on materials published by Der Spiegel. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
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