EU Poland Erupts in Fury as Migrant Tensions Boil Over

[CharlieH]

 

Furious Poles have taken to the streets in protest as anti-migrant anger explodes across the country following the brutal killing of a young woman — allegedly by a Venezuelan national.

 

The 24-year-old victim was stabbed to death while walking through a park in Torun, sparking a wave of outrage and fuelling claims the country is being "flooded" with illegal migrants. Thousands joined a silent march in her memory, demanding a crackdown on immigration.

 

The shocking murder has become a flashpoint in a nation already on edge, with marches erupting from Krakow to Walbrzych as far-right voices claim locals are being “humiliated” and “terrorised” in their own country.

“The nation has had enough of what's happening,” said Danuta, a 60-year-old protester in Krakow. “We're living under terror, being humiliated. Our borders aren't sealed — so we have to defend them ourselves.”

 

Since March, Poland has suspended the right to claim asylum in a bid to stop migrants arriving, but that hasn’t stopped public fury from spiralling. Protesters are now patrolling borders themselves — spurred on by online rumours that Germany has been secretly pushing migrants back into Poland.

 

That speculation, though unproven, has triggered border controls with Germany and Lithuania, initially set for 30 days but likely to be extended. Warsaw imposed the measures after Berlin made similar moves earlier this year, hoping to stem the flow of asylum seekers.

 

Under EU law, migrants can legally be returned to the country where they first entered the bloc — but critics say the system is being abused, and that Poland is unfairly carrying the burden.

 

Adding fuel to the fire, another migrant — this time from Paraguay — was accused of taking photos of children at a playground in Walbrzych. Although police later confirmed there was nothing suspicious on his phone, the damage was done. The man was attacked by two locals, and a furious mob stormed the hostel where he and around 50 others were staying.

The political temperature is rising too. Krakow MP Konrad Berkowicz sparked fury by telling Polish radio: “Xenophobia is an important element of our national unity. The West has stifled it, and now they have rapes and terrorism. We should cherish it.”

His inflammatory remarks come as data reveals Poland’s foreign-born population is actually tiny compared to the UK — just 2.2% in 2023, versus 15.4% in Britain, according to the OECD.

 

But for many migrants already in Poland, life has become increasingly hostile.

“Elmi Abdi,” a Somali refugee who fled war and built a life in Poland, told Al Jazeera: “Today, migrants are seen as responsible for all of Poland’s problems. We are scapegoats, even though we pay taxes, work, and try to integrate. It’s heartbreaking.”

With far-right rhetoric intensifying and violent incidents on the rise, Poland now finds itself on a knife-edge — as the migrant crisis ignites deeper divisions than ever before.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Express 2025-08-02