Poland’s Presidential Election Fuels Anti-Migrant Disinformation Campaign
The upcoming Polish presidential election has witnessed a surge in online disinformation targeting migrants, with right-wing and far-right candidates exploiting anti-immigrant sentiment to attack the ruling pro-European government. False narratives, primarily disseminated through social media, accuse Germany of sending Muslim and Black migrants to Poland and criticize Ukrainian refugees for allegedly abusing social welfare systems. These fabricated stories aim to undermine public trust in the current administration’s migration policies and bolster support for nationalist and far-right contenders.
Leading the disinformation charge are Karol Nawrocki, backed by the nationalist Law and Justice Party (PiS), and Slawomir Mentzen, representing the far-right Confederation. While trailing behind pro-European Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski in pre-election polls, these candidates command substantial online followings, allowing them to effectively propagate false narratives. Doctored videos and misleading images are frequently employed, including a video purportedly showing street prayers in Warsaw that was actually filmed in Italy and another falsely depicting a group of young migrants in a Polish village during "Easter 2025," utilizing an older photograph.
One particularly potent example involves a video shared thousands of times, even by PiS and Confederation politicians, falsely claiming to show German police deporting a migrant to the Polish border. AFP fact-checkers debunked this narrative, revealing the man in question was a homeless Polish citizen. This incident underscores the deliberate manipulation of information to fuel anti-migrant sentiment and cast blame on neighboring Germany.
The spread of anti-migrant disinformation in Poland is not a new phenomenon, but the current election cycle has amplified its reach and intensity. While Poland has generously welcomed a large number of Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and faces migratory pressure, the narrative has shifted towards incorporating anti-German rhetoric, tapping into existing prejudices and xenophobic sentiments. This convergence of anti-migrant and anti-German sentiment is a dangerous development, creating a climate of fear and distrust.
Candidates like Nawrocki and Mentzen actively promote the narrative of Germany forcing migrants upon Poland. Nawrocki has accused the Tusk government of "abdicating" to Germany on migration, and Mentzen has called for the arrest of German officers supposedly depositing "illegal migrants" on Polish soil. Migration researchers, however, contradict these claims. They note no significant increase in migrant entries into Poland via either the eastern or western borders. Contrary to the accusations, the Tusk government’s migration policy is considered more restrictive than its PiS predecessors, evidenced by a March measure limiting asylum rights at the Belarus border.
Furthermore, the circulating figure of 10,000 migrants, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, supposedly sent back to Poland by Germany is a manipulation of statistics. These represent cases of entry denial into Germany in 2024, with 60% being Ukrainians primarily refused due to inadequate documentation, as clarified by the Polish interior ministry. This manipulation serves political agendas by conflating unrelated instances with the false narrative of Germany deliberately burdening Poland with migrants.
Ukrainian refugees have also become targets of online disinformation campaigns. Altered videos depicting "ungrateful Ukrainian women" and false claims of refugees exploiting benefits systems are circulated to stoke resentment and fear. These publications echo the rhetoric of the Confederation, which consistently attacks what it labels "ungrateful Ukrainians" residing in Poland. The ongoing war in Ukraine and the 2021 migration crisis serve as fertile ground for such disinformation to flourish, perpetuating fear and prejudice.
The culmination of these disinformation campaigns is manifested in anti-migration protests, with one scheduled in Warsaw on May 10. The primary aim, experts suggest, is to sow fear and apprehension among the populace, using disinformation as a tool to manipulate public opinion and influence the impending election. This deliberate spread of false and misleading information poses a significant threat to social cohesion and democratic processes, requiring vigilance and critical evaluation of online content.