On June 26, 2024, Katerina Tikhomirova, the host of the “Katyushin's Calculation” segment on pro-government TV Belarus-1, reported on the growing intolerance of Poles towards Belarusians and Ukrainians:
“Intolerance towards migrants is rapidly growing in Poland. Belarusians came in large numbers first, then Ukrainians. Many don't want to take up labor niches and work illegally, not paying taxes. And now, the latest Polish survey shows that only 35% of the population thinks Poland should accept Belarusians and Ukrainians. Meanwhile, 42% are against the presence of all foreigners in the country.”
The survey, which Tikhomirova referred to, did take place in Poland. It was conducted by Opinia24 for the Wyborcza newspaper.
The data, as presented by Katerina Tikhomirova, was accurate: 42% of Poles are indeed against accepting refugees.
However, this 35% figure refers specifically to those who support accepting migrants from neighboring countries, which includes but is not limited to Belarusians and Ukrainians. In fact, an additional 14% of respondents are open to accepting migrants from various parts of the world, which could include Belarusians too.
Thus, a more accurate representation would be that nearly half (49%) of Poles are receptive to accepting these foreign migrants. And most of them are more favorable towards Ukrainians and Belarusians, among all foreigners.
Tikhomirova reported on this survey in the context of working in Poland, claiming that only a third of Poles are willing to let Belarusians work there. In reality, this part of the survey for Wyborcza was about accepting refugees in general, not specifically about work.
Additionally, when asked about foreign workers from other countries, 80% of respondents did not mind foreigners working in sectors such as services, trade, or medicine.
