Intolerance towards Ukrainian refugees is growing in Central and Eastern Europe

Citizens of Central and Eastern Europe welcomed the refugees from Ukraine, but that feeling is slowly waning, especially in pro-Russian countries like Slovakia and Bulgaria, where "privileges" for refugees are criticized.

At the same time, the influx of Ukrainian refugees is compared to the refugee crisis of 2015.

According to UNHCR, almost six million Ukrainians have fled the country since the beginning of the war. Poland and Romania received the most refugees, 3,2 million and 889.000, respectively. About 772.000 went to Russia and 577.000 to Hungary.

And while governments welcomed them with words of welcome and humanitarian aid, there were protests against Ukrainian refugees in the cities of Central and Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, a positive attitude towards refugees from Ukraine prevails in most countries.

"It is a common phenomenon that unconditional solidarity towards war refugees weakens in neighboring countries over time. Socio-economic tensions can cause spontaneous public reactions, including violent ones," Zolt Zadori of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee told EURACTIV.

Intolerance is growing while the willingness to help is weakening, said Slovak activist Branislav Tihi, who spent several weeks on the Slovakian-Ukrainian border.

"All over Slovakia, the first protests and public dissatisfaction with aid to refugees from Ukraine have appeared. The narrative of 'what about us and our children' has started to get stronger," Tihi wrote on Facebook.

Refugee benefits are a general issue across Central and Eastern Europe. In all countries, there is a narrative that governments care more about refugees than their own citizens, and it is reinforced by far-right party activists.

In Slovakian cafes and bars, citizens complain that Ukrainian refugees have been receiving vouchers for public transport and lunch since the beginning of the war.

In Bulgaria, the nationalist pro-Russian party Varazdane, which is supported by about 10 percent of voters, spreads fake news about Ukrainian refugees based on the claim that many Bulgarians live in poverty and that the government and the EU, instead of caring for them, pay all attention to Ukrainians.

And the far-right Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy party criticizes the government for helping Ukrainian refugees.

The leader of that party, Tomio Okamura, said at the parliamentary session on May 10 that after the arrival of children from Ukraine, the quality of education will decline and that there will not be enough places for Czech children in kindergartens. Okamura also asked the question of how much humanitarian aid goes to Ukrainians.

Even in traditionally anti-Russian Poland, the nationalist Confederation party claims that Ukrainian refugees enjoy too many privileges in that country. However, according to new research, aid to refugees is still supported by more than 90 percent of Poles.

Anti-refugee rhetoric and growing discontent have already led to several incidents. However, violent incidents are limited.

Dissatisfaction is expressed in different ways - in Slovakia, for example, some drivers do not accept refugees on the bus without a ticket, even though the government has prescribed it.

Both Zadori and Tihi say that it is up to the government to prevent incidents. "The government is in control of it. The more countries are able to help Ukrainians integrate, the less room there is to cause hatred and conflict," Tihi said.

"However, it is simply a shame to be jealous of refugees because of one sandwich and 69 euros of hardship allowance," he added.

In the meantime, talks on a common migration policy proposed by the European Commission in 2020 have been halted.

The vice president of the European Commission for the promotion of the European way of life, Margaritis Shinas, told EURACTIV in the fall that the new agreement proposal is expected to be reached immediately after the presidential elections in France.