Attitudes of rural Polish population towards Ukrainian migrants

Abstract

Over the two years, the sentiment and attitudes of Poles towards those who came from Ukraine have evolved. The coexistence of Poles and Ukrainians presents a substantial challenge marked by history, culture, and religion. The aim of the article is to present the attitudes of Poles towards supporting people from Ukraine who came to Poland against the backdrop of the integration of the two nations. The authors attempted to identify factors shaping Poles' attitudes towards migrants from Ukraine in a study titled ‘National Identity of Poles in Light of Migration of Ukrainian Nationals: Prevention of Social Conflicts’. The CATI survey was conducted in March 2023. The independent variables considered relevant under the research design are sex, age, education, and type of residence (village or small town). The authors proposed that the historical and cultural diversity of Poland may affect the current attitudes of Poles towards Ukrainians. Despite the long time since the Ukrainian aggression against Poles, the trauma may still influence relationships. The statistical analysis offers the following conclusions: women demonstrated a less favorable attitude towards Ukrainian refugees than men; young respondents aged 25–34 declared the most negative attitudes; people with higher education declared the most positive attitudes; residents of municipalities where the number of Ukrainians grew assumed less favorable attitudes; the respondents indicated three potential causes of problems for Polish-Ukrainian relationships: mindset differences, historical resentments, and cultural differences. They found religious differences to be much less of a potential problem. The results demonstrate the need to educate Polish society, especially in the eastern region bordering Ukraine. Moreover, residents of rural municipalities where the Ukrainian population grew exhibit more critical attitudes. This suggests a passive approach by municipal authorities to integrating these individuals. The present study should be considered a pilot that needs to be complemented with further in-depth qualitative analyses.