Anti-immigration protests organised by the far-right Confederation Libery and Independence party took place in more than 80 cities across Poland, including in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Bialystok.
Demonstrators demanded the closure of the borders with Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovakia.
“Enough of the years-long policy of ‘let everyone in, and who they are will be determined later’,” Krzysztof Bosak, one of Confederation party’s leaders, wrote on X.
“Polish women and men have the right to be concerned about the level of security in their own homeland,” he added.
In a speech at the start of the march, Bosak demanded the resignation of Donald Tusk’s government, the closure of the borders with Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovakia to curb illegal immigration, and the permission for soldiers to shoot at people who cross the border illegally.
“Without closing Poland to illegal immigration, without launching a deportation operation, without renouncing political correctness, without equipping the Border Guard and the forces responsible for controlling the legality of residence, and without controlling the labour market, security will gradually deteriorate,” he said, calling for a change in policy.
The protests come shortly after Poland introduced border controls with Germany and Lithuania, which came into effect on 7 July.
On the Polish-German border, controls are in place at 52 places and on the Polish-Lithuanian border at 13.
The issue of migration has been widely up for debate, and a contentious topic in Polish politics, particularly as the country has experienced a rise in immigration in recent years.
In the first round of the presidential elections held in May, candidates of the far-right performed well, with Slawomir Mentzen of the Confederation Libery and Independence party and Grzegorz Braun of Confederation of the Polish Crown party coming in third and fourth, respectively.
Many believe that both candidates’ successes were due to their hardline stance on migration.
Interior ministers agree on asylum rules
On Friday, Poland and five other EU countries, agreed a set of targets for tightening asylum rules. During the meeting hosted by Germany’s interior minister, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted that he was “pleased that Poland is carrying out border controls.”
Last year, Poland saw an increase in asylum applications due to the recurring crisis on its eastern border with Belarus, which has been ongoing since 2021.
As a result, the Polish parliament passed a law temporarily suspending the right to apply for asylum for those who crossed the Belarusian border.
Both Polish and European leaders have long accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating the influx of migrants to destabilise the EU.
On Saturday morning, the Ministry of Interior and Administration published statistics on the number of approvals issued for special protection for foreigners on X.
“In 2024, we issued 40 per cent fewer approvals for special protection for foreigners than in 2021. This is the result of a better managed system, our operations at the border and more efficient procedures,” the post read.
“The government is pursuing a responsible and well-considered migration policy, taking care of the stability and security of citizens,” it added.
Counter demonstrations in many cities
Counter-manifestations against the Confederation marches were also held in Warsaw, Katowice, Olsztyn and other cities on Saturday.
Demonstrators carried banners with the slogans: “Accept the refugees, delete the fascists,” “Action Democracy” and “We defend the right to asylum.”
“Everyone, regardless of their skin colour and origin, should feel comfortable not only in Poland, but also in Europe,” Maria Książak of the International Humanitarian Initiative Foundation said during the demonstration.
