Poles' xenophobia toward Ukrainians: reality or manipulation?

An article by Gremi Personal owner Evgenij Kirichenko on liga.net

Original in Ukrainian: liga.net

For over 10 years I have owned a company in Poland in the field of international employment services.

For over 10 years I have owned a company in Poland in the field of international employment services. As a result, I have numerous contacts with Poles: from the top management of companies to ordinary daily life. At the same time, I maintain close ties with Ukraine and visit my homeland at least three times a year. And here is what I have noticed. The topic of rising Polish xenophobia toward Ukrainians is seriously exaggerated in Ukraine's information space. From time to time I come across articles or broadcasts with experts claiming that Poles treat us worse and worse. Supposedly, the large Ukrainian diaspora in Poland feels increasingly endangered.

After reading yet another such conclusion, I decided to share my own view of what is happening. But not from the outside – from within.

Here are the main information myths that, in my opinion, are rather artificially created.

Myth 1. Poles are irritated by the presence of Ukrainians on the labour market.

This is an extremely harmful stereotype, spread not only by the media but also by ordinary Ukrainians who, for various (always purely subjective) reasons, failed to find a decent job in Poland. In reality, official Polish sources, the statements of economists and politicians, and journalistic articles all carry a key message: in the near future, without the workforce from Ukraine and Belarus, the Polish economy will suffer catastrophically.

And even in the discourse on social networks, which very often suffer from radicalism and excessive xenophobia – when it comes to labour migrants from Ukraine and their impact on the Polish economy, most opinions come down to a positive assessment.

Polish employers know Ukrainian workers well; they work for more than 50% of all Polish companies. Calculating a more precise figure is almost impossible, because Polish employers either recruit Ukrainian workers themselves or use the services of staff leasing (outsourcing) companies.

And if 5–7 years ago Ukrainians could not even count on a highly qualified position, now the situation is fundamentally changing. The share of those employed in agriculture, in positions that do not require high qualifications, is falling. Among temporary workers, "rural work" dropped from 53% to 17%, and among "permanent" workers from 8.5% to 4.3%. But the number and share of qualified specialists is growing – factory workers, engineers, managers. According to estimates by the National Bank of Poland, large-scale migration from Ukraine to Poland in 2013–2017 increased the country's economic growth rate by 0.3–0.9% per year.

Myth 2. Poland is equally negative toward refugees from Syria and migrants from Eastern Europe.

Absolutely not. Poles clearly understand that they have controversial, and sometimes outright opposing, views on historical events with Ukrainians, but despite this we are very similar. You often hear from a Pole: "You Ukrainians are our own compared, for example, to migrants from Asia, Africa or the Middle East." For them, the latter are the direct personification of otherness, and for people from those regions Poland cannot be called comfortable for adaptation.

Myth 3. Poles consider Ukrainians "cattle"

Of course, in every country in the world there are radical chauvinists obsessed with their own nation as chosen by God. But there are not as many of them in Poland as the media or social networks try to present. Ordinary Poles are impressed by Ukrainians' ability to adapt and assimilate quickly (in everyday life, in language). To Poles we are "Europeans and Christians", and that matters to them. The main requirement is respect for traditions and, most importantly, for the law. A Pole will never understand or accept a migrant who comes to his country and imposes his own rules while neglecting traditional foundations and legal norms. "Don't break our law, and we will accept you" – this can be heard not only in Poland but also in other countries of Europe and the world.

Moreover, Poles understand very well how "hard the bread" of a migrant is. In Poland it is estimated that about 2 million compatriots work abroad in other EU countries. It is obvious that this is the main reason why Poles soften their policy on employing foreigners. In frequent conversations with Poles, one strongly hears the opinion: "Ukrainians are often compared to our Polish migrants. Just as we Poles go to work in the UK, Germany or the Netherlands, they come to us. If someone works honestly, they deserve a normal attitude and a normal life."

However, it should be noted that there is one thing that is NOT A MYTH. But little is said about it in Ukraine.

Poles still do not see Ukraine as an economic partner. Poles fervently discuss investments by German or Scandinavian companies in Poland, technology transfer from France, and so on, but they speak of Ukraine only in the context of labour. There is no discourse about the potential of the Ukrainian market for Polish entrepreneurs and vice versa. In the collective Polish consciousness, Ukraine does not exist as an economic phenomenon. In the cultural context, too, there is no Ukraine for Poland. Poles do not talk about Ukrainian music and literature, which is often more developed than their own, but only about controversial historical moments.

What could change the situation? Obviously, at the macroeconomic level – fast and decisive reforms in Ukraine. At the social level, a large number of Ukrainians in Poland will inevitably create a more comfortable social environment for Ukrainians themselves. Over time, the number of TV or radio programmes for Ukrainians, websites, magazines, cultural institutions, etc., will grow. Ukrainians are already promoting their own culture and communicating closely with Poles, and all of this will steadily shape the true image of a Ukrainian.

Yes, historically it happened that in political terms relations between Poland and Ukraine were often not simple. We must be aware that even now, on both sides of the border, there are politicians and "hotheads" who are interested in building tension between Poles and Ukrainians so that they can come to political power on these xenophobic sentiments. But overall it can be summed up: the level of Polish xenophobia toward Ukrainians is not growing at all. Poland was and remains a comfortable country for us, both in business and in employment.