Thousands join anti-immigration marches around Poland

Thousands of people have joined anti-immigration marches organised by the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) party in dozens of cities around Poland.

“Poland is becoming increasingly defenceless against the growing wave of immigration,” wrote the organisers. “We don’t want Poland sharing the fate of western Europe.”

“The state is failing, so citizens are taking action,” they continued. “Ordinary people from every corner of the country have stepped up with a clear message and motivation: WE WANT TO LIVE SAFELY!

Poland has in recent years experienced levels of immigration unprecedented in its history and among the highest in the European Union. For the last eight years running, it has issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than any other member state.

Since 2021, it has also faced a crisis on its eastern border engineered by Belarus, which has encouraged and helped tens of thousands of migrants – mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa – to try to cross.

Meanwhile, since Germany reintroduced border controls in 2023, it has been sending back thousands of migrants to Poland after they tried to enter unlawfully.

Poland’s government has responded by introducing its own controls on the borders with Germany and Lithuania, banning asylum claims for migrants who enter from Belarus, and toughening the visa system, among other measures.

“We demand the closure of borders to mass, uncontrolled immigration!” declared Krzysztof Bosak, one of Confederation’s leaders, at one of today’s protests in the city of Białystok. “Enough of the Polish state’s passivity toward those who illegally invade our territory!”

Another of the group’s leaders, Sławomir Mentzen, who recently finished third in Poland’s presidential election with 15% of the vote, shared a video from his hometown of Toruń showing the crowd that had gathered there.

The cities of Kraków, Wrocław and Katowice likewise witnessed large marches, while dozens of small towns also hosted protests.

In Warsaw, the anti-immigration march was met by an opposing “Stop Fascism” demonstration made up of around 100 people, reports broadcaster RMF.

“The real threat is fascists, not migrants. It’s fascism that is the crime, not migration,” declared the organisers, United Against Racism (Zjednoczeni Przeciw Rasizmowi).

Police reported that they had been forced to intervene in order to keep the rival groups apart. One video showed a well-known protester for women’s and LGBT rights, Katarzyna Augustynek (better known as Babcia Kasia), being carried away by police.

Main image credit: Jakub Wlodek / Agencja Wyborcza.pl