Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced this on Saturday As part of the migration strategy being prepared, a temporary suspension of the right to asylum on a regional basis is planned. The Prime Minister confirmed that he would also request European approval for this.
According to the Prime Minister, this is necessary because “we know very well how Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin and human traffickers exploit the right to asylum, which is completely contrary to its essence.”
Since 2021, immigration has occupied a prominent place in Polish domestic politics. That year, a large number of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, attempted to cross the Belarusian-Polish border illegally. Warsaw and the European Union say the crisis was orchestrated by Minsk and its ally Russia, which both countries denied.
Tusk announced that he will present the entire migration strategy at a government meeting on October 15, the first anniversary of the coalition he leads coming to power.
Since taking office in December 2023, the Prime Minister has pursued a strict immigration policy. This approach has broad support among the Polish public, but has disappointed activists who had hoped to ease the previous government's strict practices.
In July, the Polish parliament passed a law making it easier for security services to use weapons against migrants trying to cross the Belarusian border. This move also indicates that the Polish government is still preparing to take decisive measures to curb illegal immigration.
Source: Reuters
The cover image is an illustration. Cover image source: Getty Images
