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Polish senators condemn rise in hostility toward foreigners

07.08.2026 13:55
Poland's upper house, the Senate, has unanimously passed a resolution condemning acts of hostility, xenophobia and hate speech in the country, following a string of attacks on Ukrainians in recent weeks.
Polands Senate passed the resolution unanimously on Thursday,
Poland's Senate passed the resolution unanimously on Thursday,Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

The resolution, adopted on Thursday, states that "everyone, regardless of their background, nationality, language or faith, has the right to respect, safety at work and in education, in an atmosphere free from fear, discrimination and contempt."

It condemns "all manifestations of xenophobia, racism, hate speech and physical violence, especially when the victims are children," adding that there can be "no acceptance of intimidation, exclusion or humiliation of anyone."

Senators called on churches, local and national government bodies, schools, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to take "decisive action" to build mutual respect and counter prejudice.

The vote follows a series of attacks on Ukrainians in Poland.

In July, three attackers beat a young Ukrainian couple in Wrocław in the country's southwest.

In Łódź, central Poland, a man assaulted someone he mistook for a Ukrainian, while in the southwestern city of Legnica two 13-year-old Ukrainian girls were attacked by a 26-year-old woman.

In the southern city of Bielsko-Biała, a 54-year-old man verbally abused Ukrainian teenagers, including two 11-year-olds, on a city bus.

He was detained and charged with insulting the girls and assaulting one of them, an offence carrying up to three years in prison.

Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Mroczek said last week that hate crimes rose by more than 30 percent between 2024 and 2025, from 760 to 1,200 cases.

report published in June by migration researcher Olena Babakova and sociologist Przemysław Sadura also pointed to growing anti-Ukrainian sentiment

Separately, analysis by the Res Futura think tank of nearly 520,000 social media posts from May found the trend increasingly widespread online.

(ał/gs)

Source: PAP