Svitlana, a 31‑year‑old mother who fled Russia’s 2022 invasion, told the BBC her 10‑year‑old daughter was recently taunted at a Warsaw‑area school.
“Boys shouted ‘Go back to Ukraine.’ A day later girls mocked missile strikes and pretended to duck for cover,” she said.
Activists at the Stand With Ukraine Foundation in Warsaw said they have logged a sharp rise in xenophobic incidents, from abuse on buses to customers harassed in shops for speaking Ukrainian.
“What began as online hate has spilled into real life,” director Natalia Panchenko told Reuters, noting many refugees are already traumatized by war.
Public mood cools
Support for hosting Ukrainians has slipped as the war enters its fourth year.
A CBOS opinion survey published in March showed only about half of Poles now favor accepting refugees, down from 81 % two years ago and 94 % in the first weeks of the invasion.
Nearly 2.5 million Ukrainians live in Poland—roughly 7% of the population—according to government data.
Election fault line
The first round of Poland’s presidential vote is on Sunday. Far‑right libertarian Sławomir Mentzen, polling third, accuses Kyiv of “exporting its problems” and backs a “deal” with Russia.
Conservative challenger Karol Nawrocki wants to end welfare payments to refugees.
Frontrunner Rafał Trzaskowski, from the country’s liberal centrist ruling coalition, supports Ukrainian aid but has toned down that stance to woo moderates, analysts say.
Another ultranationalist, Grzegorz Braun, is under police investigation for tearing down a Ukrainian flag at an April rally. He rails against the “Ukrainization of Poland” while polling around 3 %.
Moscow’s shadow
Meanwhile, Warsaw last week warned of an “unprecedented” Russian attempt to influence the election through fake online accounts portraying Ukrainians as violent or freeloading.
Research group Info Ops Polska traced many memes to Russian‑language Telegram channels, later auto‑translated into Polish.
“Narratives claim Ukrainians steal budget money or want to kill us,” said researcher Michał Marek.
The Kremlin denies meddling. But EU officials say stoking animosity between Warsaw and Kyiv serves Moscow’s strategic aims.
Refugees reconsider stay
Some Ukrainians are weighing whether to remain.
“My friends talk about going home because Poles no longer accept us,” Svitlana said. Aid groups fear returns to frontline areas could put lives at risk.
Poland spends an estimated 4.2 % of GDP on refugee support, one of Europe’s highest ratios. Government officials say benefits will gradually taper as employment rates among Ukrainians rise.
Still, Panchenko worries the campaign rhetoric will leave lasting scars. “Most Poles remain welcoming,” she said, “but the loud minority is getting bolder, and our community feels it every day.”
(jh)
Source: BBC, Reuters, CBOS