Black people report facing least discrimination in Poland, finds EU study
In a recent study by the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) involving 13 member states, individuals of African descent are least prone to encountering discrimination in Poland.
The Being Black in the EU report, published today, conducted by the agency, surveyed thousands of individuals of African descent. The findings reveal that in Poland, only 21% of respondents reported experiencing discrimination in the last five years, marking the lowest rate among all countries studied.
Portugal and Sweden had the next lowest percentages, both recording rates of 27%. Conversely, the countries with the highest proportions reporting discrimination were Germany (77%), Austria (76%), and Finland (66%).
The study also inquired about respondents' experiences of discrimination in the last 12 months. In this context, Poland's rate (19%) was the second lowest, surpassed only by Portugal (17%). Conversely, the highest figures were reported in Austria (67%), Germany (65%), and Finland (57%).
In terms of the types of discrimination encountered, individuals of African descent in Poland reported that 20% of incidents were based on skin color, 12% on ethnic or immigrant background, and 1% due to religion or belief.
In terms of the circumstances in which they faced discrimination, 15% of survey participants in Poland reported incidents related to housing, 14% during job searches, 11% at the workplace, 7% in healthcare, and 3% in education.
Moreover, Poland demonstrated a high level of awareness among respondents about the presence of at least one equality agency in the country, with a figure of 64%, trailing behind only Denmark at 67%.
Meanwhile, among individuals of African descent in Poland who had encounters with the police, 81% reported that officers were "very" or "fairly respectful," marking the highest figure among all 13 surveyed countries. Only 1% indicated that the police had been disrespectful.
In the broader context, across all surveyed nations, 58% of those stopped by the police in the last 12 months perceived the stop as racially motivated. However, in Poland, only 32% held this belief, which was the second-lowest figure, surpassed only by Luxembourg at 22%.
The study also inquired about experiences of racist harassment. In Poland, 22% reported such incidents in the last five years. Spain (21%), Luxembourg (21%), Sweden (13%), and Portugal (10%) recorded lower figures. Conversely, Germany (54%), France (52%), and Austria (46%) had the highest rates of reported racist harassment.
In Poland, 5% of respondents reported experiencing racist violence, slightly above the average of 4% among all 13 countries surveyed.
FRA's survey included a sample of 6,752 individuals of African descent across Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. The Polish sample comprised 544 people.
In recent years, Poland has witnessed its highest levels of immigration, ranking among the highest in Europe. For six consecutive years, it has issued more first resident permits to immigrants from outside the EU than any other member state. While the majority of these immigrants, approximately three-quarters, come from neighboring Ukraine, there has been a growing influx from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.