"I feel trapped in a cycle here in Berlin." The number of homeless Polish people is increasing in the German capital

Sunday, Jan 11, 2026

Gazeta Wyborcza

Berlin’s Polish community faces issues like homelessness, addiction, and social challenges despite integration efforts.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

The text presents a series of observations and personal accounts regarding Polish individuals in Berlin, highlighting issues such as public intoxication, homelessness, addiction, and integration challenges. Encounters range from aggressive behavior on public transport to witnessing homeless Poles urinating in public spaces near train stations. Experts confirm the influx of homeless Poles in Berlin, with statistics showing 35,000 out of over half a million homeless people are Polish. Personal narratives detail struggles with alcoholism, criminal records preventing legal employment, and the difficulty of reintegrating into society after falling into addiction or poverty. Some individuals describe finding support through charitable organizations like Franciscan monasteries, while others recount long journeys from Poland to Berlin driven by circumstances. The text concludes with broader European statistics on poverty and social exclusion in countries like the EU, Italy, and Spain, contrasting these issues with the specific challenges faced by Polish migrants in Berlin.

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