Germany: Information on the current situation of ethnic Poles
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | DEU10095 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Germany: Information on the current situation of ethnic Poles, 1 January 1992, DEU10095, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acb17c.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In June 1991, Germany and Poland signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation between their countries (RFE 5 July 1991, 19). The treaty apparently includes provisions for protection of the rights of the Polish minority in Germany and the German minority in Poland (Ibid., 20).
As evident in the attached articles, in 1991 there have been numerous incidents of social violence against foreigners living in Germany. In many cases, the victims have been asylum seekers or members of a visible minority. A table from a document published by the German Information Centre in New York indicates that Poland is the country of origin of some of the asylum seekers present in Germany (1991, 6); however, there is no information currently available to the IRBDC which indicates specifically whether Poles have been targets of these violent acts. However, according to a report in a German newspaper, a survey of Germans in the Saxony region indicated that Poles were among several ethnic groups which were quite unpopular (German Tribune 6 Oct. 1991, 3). There is no further information currently available to the IRBDC which is specific to the treatment of Poles in Germany.
Bibliography
German Tribune [Hamburg]. 6 October 1991. "Hostility Towards Aliens Widespread in Former GDR."
Radio Free Europe (RFE). 5 July 1991. Vol. 2, No. 27. Report on the USSR. De Weydenthal, Jan. B. "The Polish-German Reconciliation."
Attachments
Christian Science Monitor [Boston]. 27 September 1991. "Germans Move to Curb Young Extremists."
The Economist [London]. 19-25 October 1991. "Germany's Immigrants: No Solution."
. 28 September 1991. "Echoes at an Evil Past."
German Information Centre [New York]. 1991. Focus On: Foreigners in Germany (p. 1,2,6).
The German Tribune [Hamburg]. 6 October 1991. "Hostility Towards Aliens Widespread in Former GDR."
The Globe and Mail [Toronto]. 7 October 1991. "German Skinheads Attack Foreigners."
The Ottawa Citizen. 23 September 1991. "Skinhead Attacks on Immigrants Turn Bloody."
Radio Free Europe. 5 July 1991. Vol. 2, No. 27. Report on the USSR. De Weydenthal, Jan B. "The Polish-German Reconciliation."
Reuters. 18 October 1991, AM Cycle. "German Jews Urge Action..." (NEXIS)
