Special Report: Poland and Selective Humanitarianism
- Genocide Watch
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Michał Jagielski
Genocide Watch
Poland is not unique in its selective humanitarianism. As the EU’s decision to restrict asylum rights for certain groups showed, the entire continent suffers from a neo-racist attitude towards migrants.
However, Poland constitutes a case in which the dynamic between neo-racism and securitization is clearly visible. It was much easier for Poles to accept Ukrainian refugees because they were accustomed to their presence. The cultural, linguistic, and biological similarities did not threaten Polish identity and security. On the other hand, even the possibility of allowing refugees from the MENA region to settle in the country provoked widespread outrage.
Through securitizing the issue, both the EU and Poland have created an echo chamber that not only fuels fear but also conditions the public to normalize violence and reframe it as “common sense.” On a domestic level, the decision to securitize migration has been influenced by the public’s growing fear for their safety and the survival of Polish culture, fears that have rarely been challenged. Housing crises, inflation, insufficient healthcare, and the rising cost of living have all been reframed through the lens of “the Other,” diverting attention from structural issues to marginalized groups. Without meaningful educational or rhetorical opposition, these fears are reinforced, creating a cycle where public acceptance of institutional and physical violence becomes normalized.
Over time, society is being conditioned to perceive people of different cultures and faiths as lesser human beings. Even though Poland’s conduct is not genocidal in and of itself, its impact on the public has the potential to be profound. It establishes a fertile ground for hatred and mass violence against specific groups to flourish. Therefore, the country’s migration policy is not simply a matter of border control: it is a deliberate shaping of public consciousness around who is worthy of protection and who can be subjected to violence.
Full report:
