Polish hospitality is exhausted? A wave of resentment towards Ukrainians is increasing on the Internet

Is the wave of empathy towards refugees over?
Source: Wikimedia Commons/Zalasem1/CC BY-SA 4.0

Date of February 24, 2022 citizens Ukraine will remember forever. Since Russia's invasion, millions of Ukrainians and Ukrainians have arrived in Poland in search of asylum. The Border defender reports that almost 12 million people have crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border since the beginning of the war. any of them have already returned to Ukraine, but any of them stay in Poland. Initially, the exemplary attitude of Poles began to slow down the wave of xenophobia. Why?

Everyone remembers the national after the war. Poles, spending their time and resources, helped people in the exile crisis as much as they could. individual took the first things and medical supplies to the border, individual else invited a household from Ukraine under their roof. The efforts of Poles and their empathic attitude were appreciated not only for our east border, but throughout the world. Of course, in our society there was no deficiency of voices unfavorable towards those fleeing Putin's aggression. Let us remind here about nationalist groups that agreed in Przemysl to "defence the country". Unfortunately, over the course of time, it is possible to observe the phenomenon of hatred against Ukrainians and Ukrainians in Poland. Interestingly, negative statements usually appear only on the Internet.

We enter the first link to be displayed after entering the phrase "Ukrainians in Poland" in Google. This is an article from April 13, 2023 published on the website wrokodce.pl. Under the text “Ukrainians in Poland: How many want to stay permanently? fresh data’ net user with nickname ore He wrote: “The savages are at hand. We Poles do not want you here anymore.” (oryg spelling). The next article, entitled “Polish Law Beneficial to Ukrainians. Most of them will not pay for their stay" by Tomasz Klyta, published on the portal samorzadowy.pl. Name User 112Kate commented on media reports on legislative solutions: “I mean a bill designed to wash the eyes of Poles. Fallers will proceed to suck the last penny out of the taxpayer. I wonder why a Pole is in a hard situation and there is no charge for it. I'm tired of these fancy gamegoers and their inexpensive ladies let you...they come from where they came” (original spelling). User Zibi He adds: “They are impunityless in our country and this is only the beginning.” On the Internet, everyone can express their opinion in an anonymous way (but let us remind you that it is not anonymous!). Is ore, 112Kate and Zibi Would they dare repeat their words in real life? Let us look at the problem of xenophobia in relation to Ukrainians and Ukrainians outside the network.

We asked UAM student Denis Kushnir about the hatred experience. He arrived in Poland 6 years ago, in 2017. Fortunately, I never experienced any hatred due to my background. I besides tried to assimilate myself with Poles as shortly as possible – Denis says. Although he has not personally met with hostile comments or behaviours, he recalls that the phenomenon of hatred due to Ukrainian origin is no alien to him I've heard about these situations from my friends. For example, any people were disturbed by the Ukrainians speaking Polish or not knowing the language at all. Others commented: ,O mother, but many of these Ukrainians here... due to them we have no work.” The words he heard and quoted seem to have no confirmation of the facts. There is no shortage of work in Poland, even despite the exile crisis behind our east border. As Denis rightly points out, this situation is almost analogous to the 1 that happened in the UK or Germany a fewer years ago – "People forget that quite a few Poles went to the West in precisely the same way that people from Ukraine came to Poland". Let us besides remind that among immigrants from outside our east border there are people fleeing the war – something that fortunately Poles emigrating did not gotta experience.

The exile crisis has not ended, despite the fact that it has been over a year since the outbreak of the war. possibly it will besides proceed erstwhile the war is over. Admittedly, the process of assimilation can be hard for both sides. We know that this will not happen within a week, period or even a year – even though both nations are rather akin and friendly. It remains to be hoped that the inactive burning zeal of Poles to aid people from Ukraine in the exile crisis will not shortly fade. Our interviewer, Denis Kushnir, briefly summed up the problem of national hatred: “Many Poles were on the Ukrainian side and are trying to aid them with all their strength. But there are others, I would call them xenophobic, who blame the Ukrainians for deficiency of work or housing. It is forgotten that a large majority did not come here voluntarily...’. We frequently hear about xenophobia and the usage of stereotypes (often hurtful) towards Poles abroad, and we do not accept specified a state of affairs, it gives us a stir. So why do any Poles act the same way? The answer to that question is hard to find. But it is certain that 1 should not be afraid to respond to hatred. It is best to effort to explain and educate fellow countrymen about the harmfulness of stereotypes and xenophobia.

Zuzanna ZAREMBA