Unwanted encounters: Anti-Ukrainian rhetoric in the social media reception of migrants by the Polish far-right
Unwanted encounters: Anti-Ukrainian rhetoric in the social media reception of migrants by the Polish far-right

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyze the anti-Ukrainian rhetoric concerning migrants in Polish social media based on the category of topos, as in Discourse-Historical Approach, in order to evaluate the threats and dangers generated rhetorically. The research material comprises a corpus of far-right anti-Ukrainian comments and posts collected from Facebook and Instagram profiles. Based on quantitative insights into the corpus, the paper conducts a qualitative study to classify the topoi and highlight specific rhetorical strategies employed by the far-right toward Ukrainian migrants. The analysis shows the patterns which the users of extreme discourses employ to verbalize and rationalize their disdain for the migrants. These present the Ukrainian migrants as a threat to Polish independence and social order, argue that the support they receive is undeserved, and present ruling politicians as inept and ignorant of the needs of Poles.

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