Yet, despite there being some sour spots, this immigration wave has been absorbed surprisingly well and has enjoyed broad public support.
The two situations are very different.
Ukrainians have been cheap labour in Poland for a decade or so. They look pretty much the same, speak a similar language (Polish and Ukrainian are sort of mutually understandable), have sort of similar culture (at least if you squint a bit), and above all, are oppressed by Russia. Poland remembers Russian oppression, so it’s a lot easier to sympathise. Ukrainians are viewed as hard workers who are willing to do the jobs that no one else wants (basically the role of Poles in other countries). And above all they cross the border legally. They might not always legalise their stay properly, but who hasn’t skirted the law here or there?
The immigrants being pushed across by Lukashenko look different (when a black person started working in a shop in a neighboring town, people would go there specially to see him), don’t speak a common language (they often don’t even speak English), aren’t coming to do proper work (construction and cleaning), aren’t crossing legally, and don’t even really want to live in Poland (they want to get to Germany).
Personally I support protecting the Belarus border (though I’d like it to be done in a way that doesn’t further disrupt the already very fragile populations of bison and lynx) for game theoretic reasons, and support accepting Ukrainians for humanitarian reasons, but from talking to people I often get the impression that for them it boils down to cultural reasons.
The two situations are very different.
Ukrainians have been cheap labour in Poland for a decade or so. They look pretty much the same, speak a similar language (Polish and Ukrainian are sort of mutually understandable), have sort of similar culture (at least if you squint a bit), and above all, are oppressed by Russia. Poland remembers Russian oppression, so it’s a lot easier to sympathise. Ukrainians are viewed as hard workers who are willing to do the jobs that no one else wants (basically the role of Poles in other countries). And above all they cross the border legally. They might not always legalise their stay properly, but who hasn’t skirted the law here or there?
The immigrants being pushed across by Lukashenko look different (when a black person started working in a shop in a neighboring town, people would go there specially to see him), don’t speak a common language (they often don’t even speak English), aren’t coming to do proper work (construction and cleaning), aren’t crossing legally, and don’t even really want to live in Poland (they want to get to Germany).
Personally I support protecting the Belarus border (though I’d like it to be done in a way that doesn’t further disrupt the already very fragile populations of bison and lynx) for game theoretic reasons, and support accepting Ukrainians for humanitarian reasons, but from talking to people I often get the impression that for them it boils down to cultural reasons.