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Thousands of people gathered in Warsaw on Saturday to protest against illegal immigration and European Union migration policies, AFP journalists reported.
The demonstration, held under heavy rain, was organised by the main opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), which supports nationalist President Karol Nawrocki.
Demonstrators convened at Castle Square in the city’s Old Town from 2:00 pm (12:00 GMT), with many travelling by bus from across Poland and waving national flags.
One 64-year-old retiree told AFP, “I see what is happening in the West. I have two children who live in Germany, and I see the danger there and its impact on German identity. Germans now feel like minorities in their own country.”
Opinion polls suggest that a majority of Poles, including supporters of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-EU coalition, favour stricter migration policies and a tougher approach to Ukrainian refugees.
The Polish leadership remains divided on immigration, foreign policy, and support for Ukraine.
Nawrocki and PiS have repeatedly criticised the European Union’s Migration and Asylum Pact, adopted last year and due to come into force in June 2026.
The agreement would require member states to accept thousands of migrants from frontline countries or provide additional funding instead.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week, Nawrocki stressed that Poland, which has hosted over one million Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, had already fulfilled its obligations.
“The overwhelming majority of Poles, from all political leanings, oppose the forced relocation of migrants to Poland,” he wrote, adding, “I will not consent to the implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact in Poland.”
