The 2015 European Refugee Crisis vs. the 2022 Ukrainian Refugee Crisis: Why Poland Adopted Double Standards in Refugee Policies?

Abstract

Since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis in February 2022, there have been quite a few studies related to the war in Ukraine, centering around its causes and effects. However, few studies have focused on the Ukrainian refugee crisis associated with the war, and even fewer have compared the 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis with the European refugee crisis in 2015. It can be found that Poland's double standard in its refugee policies was obvious during the two refugee crises, and this paper aims to clarify the reasons behind it. By analyzing the differences between the two crises from the aspect of countries of origin and destination, cultures, and religions, this paper finds that the 2015 and 2022 refugee crises differ in many ways. This paper further examines the manifestations of double standards in its refugee policies from the aspect of its legal structure, admission policies, and material assistance policies. Compared with 2015, refugees in 2022 (mostly Ukrainians) could apply for protection in a simpler, less time-consuming way with more chances to enjoy a more comprehensive treatment in terms of medical assistance and accommodation. Based on these observations, this paper finds that the reasons why Poland adopted double standards can be analyzed from the perspective of national attributes including material, historical and cultural attributes.