●  Discrimination in Warszawa Śródmieście

A Threads user @oscarbarsuk reported that on 13 May at the PKO Rotunda branch in Warsaw, a bank employee named Wiktoria W. refused to update her residence card details (the card was issued under subsidiary protection), withheld the document, and refused to give her name. When the client said she would file a complaint, the employee allegedly responded mockingly, "File a complaint against the person who started the war in Ukraine." A colleague at a neighboring desk intervened, made Wiktoria return the card, and explained that clients have the right to know who is serving them.

The bank later sent an official reply stating it "did not confirm any violations" and that the employee had acted "in accordance with quality and security standards," while reportedly ignoring the witness colleague's account. The client has since filed a formal appeal (odwołanie) through the e-Doręczenia system to PKO BP's Client Ombudsman, demanding camera footage and questioning of the witness, and says she may escalate to Poland's Financial Ombudsman and the financial supervision authority (KNF). In the comments, other Belarusians described similar problems—blocked accounts and refusals to open business accounts — while a bank-sector commenter cited mandatory KYC/AML procedures applied to Belarusian and Russian citizens; the author countered that no sanctions or laws justify xenophobic remarks or withholding an ID document.