The Ideal and the Real Dimensions of the European Migration Crisis. the Polish Perspective

social sciences $€ £ ¥ Article The Ideal and the Real Dimensions of the European Migration Crisis. The Polish Perspective Barbara Cie´slińska* and Małgorzata Dzieko ńska Instytut Socjologii i Kognitywistyki, Uniwersytet w Białymstoku, 15-328 Białystok, Poland; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 29 July 2019; Accepted: 12 November 2019; Published: 14 November 2019 Abstract: In the article the so-called European migrant crisis of 2015 is presented from the perspective of Polish society. First, we consider criteria for distinguishing refugees from other types of immigrants. Second, we examine the characteristics of the 2015 inflow which contribute to its perception in terms of crisis. The third issue is Polish society’s reactions to the phenomenon of migration. On the one hand, the results of nationwide polls are presented. On the other hand, the perspective of a provincial city is introduced. In the city an active refugee center has been operating for almost three decades and major importance has been attached to the idea of a multicultural society. The analysis of these issues indicates that the inflow related to the migration crisis does not coincide with the current patterns of refugee migration and is not consistent with the celebrated vision of a multicultural society. Keywords: migration crisis; ideal type; refugees; immigrants; migration policy 1. Introduction The unexpected, large-scale inflow of non-European citizens on the territory of the European Union (EU) during several months in the years 2015–2016 has been called the “migration crisis” and a “humanitarian crisis” (Martin 2016; Baldwin-Edwards et al. 2018; Dunes et al. 2018). The data and analyses of International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) were alarming (see Figure1). It was pointed out that “post-war Europe did not know this phenomenon” (Cianciara 2015, p. 430). The migration crisis has become one of the most important subject matters capturing public attention for many months. In this context, two faces of the movement of immigrants and refugees have been presented. The first portrays the mass inflow of people from outside Europe, mainly men, and has been discussed a lot in the media, such that it finally also caught Polish public attention, despite the fact that Poland has not experienced immigration of this kind on such a large scale. The second is related to the actual cases of migration to Poland during the migration crisis, which were in line with earlier patterns of refugee arrivals to Poland and had different characteristics than the discussed “crisis”. It seems that these arrivals do not arouse controversy in Poland and are beyond public debate. What focused Poles’ attention was the refugee inflow to other EU countries, and this is what became the “carrier” of the idea of “migration crisis” to Poland. This is also why the words “the so-called” sometimes precede “migration crisis” in this text. Information about tragic accidents and human drama of immigrants and refugees arriving in Europe through the Mediterranean Sea has aroused social emotions and has not allowed people to remain indifferent to these events. The IOM, which began to collect and publish data on the number of deaths and drownings during these crossings, demonstrates large numbers which significantly exceed 1000 people per year, namely: 3317, 3416 and 5096 casualties in years 2014–2016, respectively (Fargues 2017, p. 13). Such information, being disseminated and visualized against the background of Soc. Sci. 2019, 8, 314; doi:10.3390/socsci8110314 www.mdpi.com/journal/socsci Soc. Sci. 2019, 8, x 314 FOR PEER REVIEW 22 of of 16 16 (Fargues 2017, p. 13). Such information, being disseminated and visualized against the background arrivingof arriving people, people, mostly mostly young young men, men, resulted resulted in in polarization polarization of of social social attitudesattitudes towardstowards the current policy of admitting immigrants and refugees. Some expected that a strict immigration policy would be adopted in order to prevent suchsuch situationssituations fromfrom recurring. Others demanded that the policy be softened and greater openness should be shown to thosethose who take trouble and ri risksk their lives to reach reach safe countries. Figure 1. NumberNumber of of detections detections of illegal illegal border crossings to European Union per month. Source: own calculations based on oofficialfficial data ((FrontexFrontex 20192019).). In Poland,Poland, thethe migrationmigration crisis crisis became became a a media media event event since since the the beginning. beginning At. At its peak,its peak, neither neither the increasethe increase in the in number the number of refugees of refugees nor the nor phenomenon the phenomenon of large andof large uncontrolled and uncontrolled inflow of foreignersinflow of fromforeigners outside from Europe outside were Europe noticed. were According noticed. toAccording the data fromto the the data Offi fromce for the Foreigners, Office for theForeigners, number ofthe persons number who of persons applied forwho refugee applied status for re evenfugee decreased status even slightly decreased (Urz ˛addo slightly Spraw (Urz Cudzoziemcąd do Sprawów 2015Cudzoziemców). Still, a very 2015). critical Still, attitude a very of critical Poles towardsattitude refugeesof Poles cantowards be observed, refugees although can be theyobserved, have littlealthough experience they have of hosting little experien them ince Poland of hosting (Łaciak them and in Frelak Poland 2018 (Łaciak). By disseminatingand Segeš Frelak information, 2018). By filmsdisseminating and photos information, showing di fffilmserent facesand ofphotos the migration showing crisis, different electronic faces and of traditionalthe migration mass mediacrisis, haveelectronic contributed and traditional to this e ffmassect. Themedia nature have of contri the mediabuted messageto this effect. is that The it says nature whatever of the attractsmedia attention,message is according that it says to whatever the old journalistic attracts attention, principle: accordingbad news to isthe good old newsjournalistic. As a result, principle: the messagebad news aboutis good thenews. migration As a result, crisis the was message dominated about almostthe migration exclusively crisis by was negative dominated content. almost Besides, exclusively the very by conceptnegative of content. “the migration Besides, crisis”the very is not concept neutral of in“the itself. migration Polish society crisis” hasis not already neutral experienced in itself. Polish many politicalsociety has and already economic experienced crises and many is not political willing toand face economic another. crises All the and more is not so willing that in theto face neighboring another. Germany,All the more a richerso that and in the better neighboring organized Germany, country, witha richer a long and traditionbetter organized of hosting country, migrants with ( Stokesa long 2019tradition), this of major hosting increase migrants in the number(Stokes of2019), refugees this andmajor immigrants increase causedin the anumber lot of confusion, of refugees growing and concernsimmigrants about caused security a lot inof publicconfusion, spaces growing (Stecker concer and Debusns about 2019 security) and “the in public crisis hasspaces also (Stecker heightened and anti-foreignerDebus 2019) and racism, “the prejudicecrisis has andalso marginalityheightened an forti-foreigner existing immigrant racism, prejudice communities” and marginality (Sadeghi 2019 for, p.existing 1625). immigrant The peakof communities” media and society’s (Sadeghi interest 2019, p. in 162 the5). so The called peak migration of media crisis and insociety’s Poland interest coincided in withthe so the called campaign migration for the crisis parliamentary in Poland coincided elections with in Poland the campaign in 2015, andfor the debates parliamentary on the character elections of thein Poland Polish State’sin 2015, policy, and includingdebates on the the policy character towards of migration.the Polish ConceptsState’s policy, such asincludingrefugees, immigrantsthe policy towards migration. Concepts such as refugees, immigrants or migrants, frequently used in public Soc. Sci. 2019, 8, 314 3 of 16 or migrants, frequently used in public debates, became popular expressions, used intuitively and ambiguously. They played an important role as a catalyst of division. Two groups emerged: the opponents and the supporters of the “open door” policy. This dichotomous, and thus simplified way of practicing migration policy fit well into the election campaign, because it made it easy to distinguish between these two groups of politicians. However, it is known that migration policies are much more complex and ambiguous in practice. The dichotomous approach to this matter reflects different visions of Poland’s future: multi-ethnic and multicultural or national and with little cultural and ethnic diversity. We point out that after the peak of the migration crisis the migration issues ceased to be central to mass media and their role in political campaigns became less significant (see the end of Section4). The manifestations of society’s interest in the so-called migration crisis took various forms: from street marches (in 2015 they were organized in the largest Polish cities) through public debates (including broadcasts on nationwide and

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