According to a recently published report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Poland stands out among 13 EU countries surveyed for its comparatively low levels of reported discrimination against people who are black and belong to the African diaspora. Respondents in Poland also tended to report higher levels of integration than respondents in other countries.

Research for this report was conducted in 2022 among a sample of 6 752 people of African descent in 13 EU countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Eligibility for the study was determined by a person having been born in a Sub-Saharan African country or having at least one parent born in this region. Of the 561 people surveyed in Poland, only 5% were second-generation migrants. Half of the respondents held Polish citizenship, and they had been living in Poland for an average of 14 years.

In Poland, 19% of respondents reported feeling discriminated against on any grounds in the last 12 months, while 21% had such an experience over the last 5 years. In comparison, the average for all EU countries surveyed was 36% over the last 12 months and 47% over the last 5 years.

Only 2% of those surveyed in Poland reported experiencing discrimination in their interactions with educational institutions, and 5% felt racially discriminated against in access to health care. These percentages represent the lowest levels across the EU countries surveyed. Among those stopped by the Polish police, 32% believed the stop was racially motivated. 81% said that the police treated them very or fairly respectfully. Nonetheless, approximately half of respondents in Poland did indicate that they are worried about becoming a victim of verbal insults, offensive comments, inappropriate staring, offensive gestures, or physical attacks.

In addition to addressing discrimination issues, the survey covered topics related to integration in the areas of education, employment, housing, and health. Respondents of African descent living in Poland tended to exhibit better indicators in these areas than respondents in other European countries. For example, Poland had the highest proportion of respondents in paid work (83%) and the lowest proportion in elementary employment (9%). Only in Poland was the general population more likely to live in overcrowded housing than the respondents (36% and 21% respectively). Poland also had the lowest proportion of respondents with an unmet need for a medical examination or treatment (4%).