Poland to suspend asylum rights amid pressure on Belarusian border

WARSAW, POLAND – Poland’s leader said Saturday he plans to temporarily suspend the right to asylum as part of a new migration policy, pointing to its alleged abuse by eastern neighbors Belarus and Russia.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that “the state must regain 100% control over who enters and leaves Poland”, and that a territorial suspension of the right to asylum will be part of a strategy to be presented in a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Polish news agency PAP reported.

He did not elaborate, but told a convention of his Civic Coalition that “we will reduce illegal immigration to Poland to a minimum.”

Poland has struggled with migration pressures on its border with Belarus since 2021. Successive Polish governments have accused Belarus and Russia of attracting migrants from the Middle East and Africa to destabilize the West.

Tusk pointed to an alleged misuse of the right of asylum “by (Belarusian President Alexander) Lukashenko, by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, by smugglers, human traffickers, people smugglers. How this right is used by ‘asylum is in exact contradiction with the idea of ​​the right of asylum.’

He said he would demand the European Union recognize the decision on the right to asylum, PAP reported.

Tusk’s comments came after Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said on Thursday that Poland would tighten its visa regulations, stepping up vetting of applicants. The decision follows an investigation into a cash-for-visa scandal under the country’s previous government.