In 2025, the number of hate crimes against Ukrainians in Poland increased by almost one and a half times. This was reported by the TVP television company, citing official police data.
According to statistics, from January to July 2024, 384 crimes against Ukrainians motivated by hatred and xenophobia were recorded, while in the same period in 2025, there were 543 such cases – a 41% increase. Most often, these are threats of violence. For comparison, in 2022, when Ukrainian citizens began to arrive in Poland en masse, 317 such incidents were recorded, in 2024 – 479, and in just eight months of 2025 – already 322, which is almost equal to the record figures of previous years.
In addition, there is an increase in the number of cases of physical and psychological violence against Ukrainians – this figure has increased by 73% in two years. The number of cases of bodily harm has also increased by 43%.
The Polish police also report an increase in the number of crimes committed by Ukrainians themselves. From 2022 to 2024, the number of robberies with their participation increased by 57%. There has also been an increase in cases of harassment, identity theft, coercion and extortion, TVP reports.
Professor Przemysław Sadura, a sociologist at the University of Warsaw, explains the rise in anti-Ukrainian sentiment by a combination of economic instability, the influence of disinformation campaigns and political manipulation. According to him, after the initial wave of solidarity with Ukraine, public sentiment began to change – fears grew that Ukrainians could take away Poles’ jobs, and Russian propaganda is actively fueling these fears through social networks.
Sadura expressed concern that Poland could be approaching a dangerous point of no return and that mass unrest or even pogroms could begin in the country.
For data of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as of September 2025, more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees were registered in Poland – the second largest figure in Europe after Germany, where about 1.2 million Ukrainian citizens are located.
