EU Condemns Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland as Reports of Xenophobia Rise

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The European Commission has condemned attacks and hostility directed at Ukrainians in Poland and said it is monitoring the situation.
• Polish police received 180 reports of suspected hate crimes against Ukrainians during the first half of 2026, about 30% more than during the same period last year.
• The European Commission has reminded member states of their obligations under EU rules combating racism and xenophobia.
• The increase comes amid growing political tensions surrounding Ukraine and the large Ukrainian community in Poland.

The European Commission has expressed concern over a rise in reported attacks and xenophobic incidents targeting Ukrainians in Poland, saying it is monitoring the situation and Poland’s compliance with EU rules on combating racism and discrimination. The intervention comes as Polish police data show a significant increase in reported hate-related incidents involving Ukrainian citizens.

EU Calls for Compliance With Anti-Racism Rules

The European Commission told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that it is following reports of aggression against Ukrainians in Poland and monitoring whether EU legislation aimed at combating racism and xenophobia is being properly applied.

The Commission’s position is that national authorities must ensure that victims of racially or nationally motivated violence receive appropriate protection and that perpetrators are investigated under applicable law.

The statement comes at a time when relations between parts of Polish society and Ukraine have become more politically sensitive.

Reports of Hate Crimes Have Increased

According to data from Poland’s National Police Headquarters, Ukrainians filed 180 reports of suspected hate crimes during the first six months of 2026.

That was more than 30% higher than during the same period of 2025. For comparison, Ukrainian citizens filed 267 such reports during all of 2024 and 275 during 2025.

The figures refer to reports received by police and should not be interpreted as 180 confirmed criminal convictions or necessarily 180 cases in which investigators established a hate motive.

At the same time, experts have warned that official statistics may underestimate the actual scale of the problem because some victims do not report incidents to authorities.

Several Incidents Have Drawn Attention

The rise in reported cases has coincided with several highly publicized incidents.

One recent case involved Ukrainian teenagers in Bielsko-Biała who were reportedly subjected to verbal abuse and threats on a public bus because they were speaking Ukrainian. Other incidents involving Ukrainian residents have been reported in cities including Warsaw, Poznań and Legnica.

Polish authorities have increasingly emphasized that nationality-based violence and intimidation will be treated as criminal matters rather than simply social disputes.

Poland Has Strengthened Monitoring

Polish authorities have taken steps to improve the monitoring and investigation of hate-related offences.

Polish prosecutors have designated specialized units to deal with crimes committed with hate motives, while police have also introduced separate monitoring of offences targeting Ukrainians.

The aim is to identify patterns more effectively and ensure that cases are investigated consistently across the country.

Political Tensions Add to the Problem

The increase in anti-Ukrainian incidents is occurring against a backdrop of increasingly complicated political relations between Warsaw and Kyiv.

Historical disputes, debates about Ukrainian refugees, questions surrounding military support and domestic political campaigns have all contributed to a more contentious public discussion about Ukraine in Poland.

At the same time, Polish officials have warned against allowing political disagreements to turn into hostility toward ordinary Ukrainian residents.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has previously condemned attacks against Ukrainians, arguing that xenophobic violence damages Poland’s interests and can serve the objectives of hostile actors.

A European Issue, Not Only a Polish One

The European Commission’s intervention demonstrates that the issue extends beyond Poland’s domestic politics.

EU member states are required to enforce European standards against racism and xenophobia, while millions of Ukrainians continue to live across the bloc under temporary protection.

For Brussels, protecting Ukrainians from discrimination is therefore also part of ensuring that European law is applied consistently.

For Poland, the challenge is particularly significant because the country hosts one of Europe’s largest Ukrainian communities and remains one of Ukraine’s most important political, economic and security partners.

The increase in reported incidents does not mean that hostility has become the dominant attitude toward Ukrainians in Poland. However, the growing number of complaints has become significant enough to attract scrutiny from both Polish authorities and the European Commission.