Anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland has increased since early 2025, with many Ukrainians reporting growing hostility in public spaces, workplaces and schools, according to a report published on Tuesday by Polish NGO Instytut Krytyki Politycznej.
The report, We Are Not at Home: Ukrainian Migrants and Refugees on Relations with Poles, was based on interviews with 25 Ukrainian migrants and refugees and found that nearly all respondents had noticed a rise in anti-Ukrainian attitudes.
The study’s authors, migration researcher Olena Babakova and sociologist Przemyslaw Sadura, said anti-Ukrainian hostility was no longer confined to online discourse and was increasingly affecting daily life.
Respondents described incidents of discrimination in housing, employment, schools and healthcare, with the most common cases occurring on public transport.
Many said speaking Ukrainian or having a Ukrainian accent often triggered verbal abuse or intimidation.
The report also cited more subtle forms of discrimination, including landlords refusing to rent to Ukrainians and hostile comments from medical staff.
Several interviewees pointed to Poland’s 2025 presidential election campaign as the moment anti-Ukrainian rhetoric became more visible in public debate.
Conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki (who went on to win the election and become Poland’s president) and far-right contender Sławomir Mentzen adopted tougher positions on Ukraine, including opposition to Kyiv’s NATO membership and criticism of support policies for refugees.
Respondents said the campaign helped push anti-Ukrainian narratives further into the mainstream.
Others said tensions between Poles and Ukrainians had existed long before but had intensified in recent months.
The findings come as Poland remains one of the main host countries for Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
While public support for Ukraine remains broadly strong, recent opinion polls have shown declining sympathy for refugees amid debates over welfare support, job competition and historical grievances.
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