The article contains the results of a comparative analysis of the image of Poland and Poles in the context of the coverage of two crises by mainstream French press: the migration and refugee crisis that Poland faced in 2021 and 2022. The research was carried out by analysing the content of articles published in the French press, treating the media as a source of image of a country. The research proved that the image of Poland struggling with migration and refugee crises was created in two ways: through the political activities of the government and its subordinate institutions, and through grassroots actions of citizens operating in groups, also informal, activating civil society. The results of the comparative analysis confirm that public institutions and entities forming civil society shape the image of the state in a different way, influencing its reputation and the migration as well as refugees issues play an important role in creation of the country's image.