As the debate rages both within the European Union and Poland regarding the acceptance of a surge in Muslim immigrants, Legia Warsaw fans used Sunday’s match against Raków Częstochowa to make their stance clear.
Their banner, “We don’t want Berlin, Lampedusa, or France here,” was prominently displayed in their stadium. The game in Warsaw was attended by a capacity crowd, numbering over 25,000 spectators.
As the referee, Szymon Marciniak, ushered the players onto the field, Canal+ Sport’s cameras captured the host team’s stands, where the sizable banner obscured many of Legia’s flags. Fans of Raków in the visitor’s section showcased a banner bearing the identical message, according to Polish news outlet Gol24.
The specific mention of Berlin, the island of Lampedusa, and France is significant. Immigrants constitute a noteworthy portion of the population in these places, presenting unique challenges and security concerns.
For example, in Berlin, rape cases have skyrocketed in recent years, with 50 percent of all such cases involving foreigners. It is unclear how many of the “Germans” listed in the statistics are actually the children of foreigners who received German citizenship or have been naturalized since they arrived in Germany.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron has admitted that half of all crimes in Paris are committed by foreigners.
On Italy’s Lampedusa, locals are now outnumbered by the waves of migrants steadily arriving at the island, which has sent the local government into a constant state of crisis.
For years, the Polish government has argued that it rejects becoming a country of immigration due to the crime and social problems that have arisen across Western Europe; however, under the Law and Justice government, the country has seen the number of legal migrants skyrocket.
On Oct. 15, Poland will vote on a nationwide referendum posing the question: “Do you support welcoming thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa, in line with the compulsory relocation mechanism imposed by European bureaucracy?”
This referendum is set to coincide with the parliamentary elections.
