Polish police have launched an investigation after videos circulating online showed men in military-style uniforms patrolling Warsaw Central railway station and questioning people they believed to be foreigners.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on Wednesday that anyone pretending to be a government official would face the full force of the law.
“Anyone who impersonates a public official and, for example, checks the IDs of foreigners will be detained and held legally accountable,” Tusk said in a statement released by his office.
Karolina Gawęcka, a spokesperson for Poland’s Interior Ministry, said officers were gathering evidence that would be forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office in due course.
“There is and will be no tolerance…. Such behaviors are unacceptable in a state governed by the rule of law,” she said.
Polish anti-racism organisation the Never Again Association told AnewZ it was aware of reports of appearance-based harassment by far-right groups at Warsaw Central railway station and in areas near the Polish border.
“We are concerned about the appearance of uniformed far-right gangs which try to harass people based on their appearance or skin [tone].
“We strongly believe the majority of Polish people are completely against this kind of discriminatory aggressive behaviour and we call upon the Polish authorities to react swiftly in defence of human rights and [the] dignity of all people.”
Several videos showing men in military-style uniforms approaching people who appeared to be foreigners have been posted in recent days on the Facebook profiles of a group called "Bronimy Polskiej Granicy" ("We Defend the Polish Border").
Polish public broadcaster TVP reported that the group appeared to have links to the country’s far right.
The incidents come amid heightened tensions over migration in Poland following the implementation of the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, which entered into force on 12 June.
Disinformation circulating on social media claimed that owners of homes larger than 60 square metres (645 square feet) could be required to house migrants. Poland’s Interior Ministry strongly rejected the allegations.
"Neither local governments nor state services will direct migrants to private apartments or houses," the ministry said in a statement.
The EU pact introduces new rules for managing migration across the bloc, including a mechanism under which member states facing significant migration pressure can relocate asylum seekers.
Warsaw remains sceptical of certain elements of the system and insists it will not be compelled to accept relocated migrants under any mechanism it considers contrary to Polish national interests.
Tusk’s government has also repeatedly argued that Poland’s role in hosting millions of Ukrainians displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war should be taken into account when implementing European migration policy.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Mazen Torki Saud Al-Qadi, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jordan, on 21 J...
Fuel stations in Russian-controlled Crimea stopped selling fuel to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Russian-install...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "an...
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure. ...
The United States has launched an investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies to determine whether they unfairly disadvantage America...
Fuel stations in Russian-controlled Crimea stopped selling fuel to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Russian-installed governor said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred".
The United States has launched an investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies to determine whether they unfairly disadvantage American companies and restrict U.S. commerce.
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, to commemorate the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 railway station awning collapse and renew calls for snap elections.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
Fuel stations in Russian-controlled Crimea stopped selling fuel to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Russian-installed governor said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred".
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for peace talks with Iran, as Tehran’s renewed claim that it had blocked the Strait of Hormuz threatened to overshadow efforts to advance a tentative deal to end the war.
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, to commemorate the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 railway station awning collapse and renew calls for snap elections.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment