Political Dynamics Behind the Discrepancies in Poland’s Refugee Acceptance Policy towards Refugees from Ukraine and Africa and the Middle East

https://doi.org/10.31957/pjdir.v3i2.3205

Authors

  • Katong Ragawi Numadi Universitas Bali Internasional

Abstract

Poland hosts the most Ukrainian refugees as a result of Russian-Ukraine war. This reception clearly contradicts its closed-door policy, especially refugees from Africa and the Middle East. This article seeks to explain this contradiction. Using qualitative method by examining secondary sources, result shows that there are significant differences in Polish refuge policy concerning the recent Russo-Ukrainian War and the previous European refugee crises. Those differences are mainly driven by domestic and international politics. In the domestic realm, the rejection of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa is closely linked to the public negative sentiment and the rise of conservative political groups against those groups. In contrast, there is a large support of Polish political elements and public solidarity for Ukrainian refugees. Meanwhile, in the international realm, Poland’s activeness in accepting a significant number of Ukrainian refugees can be understood as a manifestation of Polish concern and resistance to the aggressiveness of Russian expansionism.

 

KEYWORDS

Political Dynamic; Poland; Refugee; Ukraine

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Beqiri, M. (2022, November 18). Ukrainian Refugees in Poland Survey 2022. WHO Statistic Poland. https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/97052

Berger, M. (2022, February 27). 400,000 Ukrainians flee to European countries, including some that previously spurned refugees. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/26/europe-welcomes-refugees-ukraine-russia/

Bobadilla, I. (2018). Refugee: Why do Some Countries Reject while the Other Accept? University of Florida.

Brzozowski, A. (2023, April 30). Poland Look Toward New Challenges in Ukraine Refugee Response. Euractiv. https://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/poland-looks-towards-new-challenges-in-ukraine-refugee-response/

Castells, S., Miller M.J., & Ammendola, G. (2014). The Age of Migration: International Movement in the World. Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263134302_The_Age_of_Migration_International_Population_Movements_in_the_Modern_World

Cienski, J. (2017, May 21). Why Poland Doesn’t Want Refugee. Politico. https://www.politico.eu/article/politics-nationalism-and-religion-explain-why-poland-doesnt-want-refugees/.

CNN News, (2023, February 23). Russia Attack to Ukraine: A Timeline. CNN News. https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2023/02/europe/russia-ukraine-war-timeline/index.html

Czhazor, Z. (2021). The EU External Policy and the 2015-2018 Refugee Relocation System in the Light of Historical Institutionalism. Rocznik Untegracji Europejskiej. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-EU-external-policy-and-the-2015–2018-refugee-in-Czachór/a98e7a2d8b1ac35cec416c36064c3e3b0c25c813

Dudzinska, A., and Kotnarowski, M. (2019, July 24). Imaginary Muslim: How the Polish Right Frames Islam. The Brooking Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/imaginary-muslims-how-polands-populists-frame-islam/

Egan, L. (2022, April 30). Poland’s Resources Running Dry as Ukraine Refugee Crisis Continues. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/polands-resources-running-dry-ukrainian-refugee-crisis-continues-rcna25991

European Commission. (2017, December 7). Relocation: Commission Refers to The Czech Republic Hungary and Poland to the Court of Justice. European Union Website. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_17_5002

Groot, D., M. (2022, February 19). The Cold War Modern Ukraine and the Spread of Democracy in the former Soviet Bloc Countries. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-cold-war-modern-ukraine-and-the-spread-of-democracy-in-the-former-soviet-bloc-countries-175789

Hammersley, M. (2012). What is Qualitative Research? Bloombury Academy. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/58723

Hargrave, K. with Homel K. and Dražanová L. (2022) Public narratives and attitudes towards refugees and other migrants: Poland country profile. https://www.nigdywiecej.org/en/reading-room/download/5904-k-hargrave,-k-homel,-l-dražanová-public-narratives-and-attitudes-towards-refugees-and-other-migrants-poland-country-profile-london,-odi,-2022

Higgins, A. (2023, February 22). How Poland Long Leery of Foreigners Open Up to Ukrainians. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/world/europe/poland-ukraine-war-refugees.html

Kiel Institute of World Economy (2023). Ukraine Support Tracker. Kiel Institute. https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/

Klaus, W. (2017). Closing Gates to Refugees: The Causes and Effects of the 2015 “Migration Crisis” on Border Management in Hungary and Poland. Yearbook of the Institute of East-Central Europe, 15(3), 11-34. https://ies.lublin.pl/en/rocznik/yearbook-15-2017/issue-3/closing-gates-to-refugees-the-causes-and-effects-of-the-2015-migration-crisis-on-border-management-in-hungary-and-poland-en-translation/

Koser, K, (2010). International Migration and Global Governance. Global Governance, 16(3), 301-315.

Lippert, R. (1999). Governing Refugees: The Relevance of Governmentality to Understanding the International Refugee Regime. Alternative: Global Local Political, 24(3), 295-328.

Livingstone, K. (2022, February 27). Poland Unprepared for Waves of Ukraine Refugee. Foreign Policy Magazine. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/02/27/poland-ukraine-refugees/

Mazaraki, Z. K. (2021). The Polish Paradox: From Fight for Democracy to Radicalization and Social Exclusion. Social Science, 10(3) https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v10y2021i3p112-d522681.html

Narkowicz, K. (2018). Refugees Not Welcome Here: State, Church and Civil Society Responses to the Refugee Crisis in Poland. International Journal of Politics Culture and Society, 31(4), 357-373. doi:10.1007/s10767-018-9287-9

Pachocka, M., and Sobczak, K. S. (2020). Refugee Protection Poland Country Report. Center of Migration Research University of Warsaw. https://www.migracje.uw.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Poland_WP3-Protection-Report.pdf

President of Ukraine (2020, October 12). Joint statement by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda. President of Ukraine Official Website. https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/spilna-zayava-prezidenta-ukrayini-volodimira-zelenskogo-ta-p-64453

Sabic, S. S. (2017). The Relocation of Refugee in the European Union. Zagreb: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/kroatien/13787.pdf

Sas, A. (2023a). Number of People Cross Polish Border from Ukraine. Stastia. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1293564/ukrainian-refugees-in-poland/

Sas, A. (2023b). Poles Attitude Toward The Refugee from Ukraine in Poland from 2022 to 2023. Stastia. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334002/poland-poles-attitude-towards-the-refugees-from-ukraine/

Soroka, G. (2022, July 12). Poland, Russia, and the Securitization of History: The Past as Roadmap for the Future. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2022/07/12/poland-russia-and-the-securitization-of-history-the-past-as-roadmap-for-the-future%ef%bf%bc/

Statistia Research Department. (2023a). Terrorism in Europe: Statistic and Fact. Statistia. https://www.statista.com/topics/3788/terrorism-in-europe/#topicOverview

Statistia Research Department. (2023b). Number of Terrorist Attack in Germany 1970 to 2021. Statistia. https://www.statista.com/statistics/541198/incidences-of-terrorism-germany/

Thomsen, J. (2009). The Recent Flow of Asylum-Seekers from Georgia to Poland. European Centre of Minority Issues. https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/110955/brief_22_eng.pdf

UNHCR Regional Bureau. (2016, December). Refugee Migrants and Sea Arrivals in Europe. https://data2.unhcr.org/ar/documents/download/53447

UNHCR. (2015, July). The Sea Route to Europe: The Mediterranian Passage in the Age of Refugee. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/media/sea-route-europe-mediterranean-passage-age-refugees

UNHCR. (2023f, March). UNHCR Key Achievements in Poland 2022 [pdf]. https://reliefweb.int/report/poland/unhcr-poland-2022-key-achievements

UNHCR. (2023a, n.d.). Operational Data Portal: Ukraine Refugee Situation. UNHCR. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine/location

UNHCR. (2023b, November). Ukraine Refugee Situation Poland. UNHCR. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine/location/10781.

UNHCR. (2023c, February). Ukraine Regional Response Plan 2023. UNHCR. https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/97958

UNHCR. (2023d, February). The Mediterranean Situation. UNHCR. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean

UNHCR. (2023e, February). Europe Monthly Update. Regional Bureau for Europe.

https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/europe-monthly-update-feb-2023.pdf

World Population Review. (2023). Muslim Population by Country. World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/muslim-population-by-country

Published

2023-11-26

Issue

Section

Articles