While protest of foreigners in Warsaw There was a heated exchange between one of the participants and a reporter from Telewizja Republika. The man, speaking about the situation of foreigners in Poland, used an exceptionally strong comparison and stated: “I have the impression that Hitler wrote this”.
Later in his speech, he spoke about what he believed to be a long-standing narrative in which subsequent national and ethnic groups are blamed for problems.
How long can you listen to this? For 17 years, I’ve been hearing: it’s the Chechens’ fault, these are dirty Gypsies, these are Ukrainians. Right? How long can you listen to this? How long can you listen? 17 years is propaganda,” a protester said in an interview with Republika Television.
Even stronger words were spoken moments later. The man compared some of the Polish community to a “virus,” which, he said, must be stopped so it doesn’t “infect other people.”
The statement was made during a protest by foreigners in Warsaw regarding the excessive length of proceedings related to the legalization of stay.
Months of waiting and life in limbo. A protester broke down during an interview with TV Republika.
Behind the official case numbers and statistics lie people who are waiting months, and in some cases much longer, for a decision on legalizing their stay in Poland. For many of them, this is no longer just an administrative problem. It’s a life of constant suspense and uncertainty, affecting their work, their ability to plan for the future, travel, and handle further official matters.
Participants in the Warsaw protest recounted situations in which protracted proceedings complicate virtually every aspect of life. Particularly dramatic are the stories of those who, due to their documented situation, fear leaving Poland, uncertain whether they will be able to return without any problems. In such circumstances, even the illness or death of a loved one abroad can force someone to face a dire choice: travel to their family and risk problems returning, or remain in Poland.
Added to this are the challenges of employment, changing jobs, renting an apartment, traveling, contacting government offices, and simply planning the next few months of life. Many foreigners emphasize that despite working legally and paying taxes and contributions, they remain unsure for a long time when their case will be resolved.
It was against this very situation that foreigners protested in Warsaw, demanding compliance with the statutory deadlines for considering cases and the repeal of Article 100d.
Emotions ran high during the demonstration. At one point, one of the protesters began a heated conversation with a Telewizja Republika reporter. The man spoke in a raised voice about his many years of experience in Poland and how, in his opinion, the groups of foreigners portrayed as the source of problems had changed.
It should be emphasized that these are the words of one of the participants in the demonstration and should not be identified with the position of the protest organizers. Even before the start of the meeting, the organizers appealed to the participants to focus solely on issues related to deadlines for proceedings, Article 100d and the functioning of offices, and avoided political and geopolitical topics.
Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Nowiny Wschodnie, a news platform followed by more than 140,000 people on social media. A graduate in Journalism and Social Communication, he has been co-creating and developing Nowiny Wschodnie since 2017. He gained professional experience working with local and international media.
He specializes in fact-checking, countering disinformation and propaganda, and information security. His work focuses on Poland, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Polish-Ukrainian relations. He is also the founder of a non-profit organization working in the fields of integration and intercultural dialogue.
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