EU Country to Halt Asylum Approvals, Says Prime Minister
Poland is set to "demand" the EU's acknowledgment of its choice to suspend asylum applications, according to Donald Tusk. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Poland has accused Russia and Belarus of intentionally overwhelming its borders with migrants, prompting the government to take action. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland will temporarily prohibit refugees from seeking asylum in the country. He asserted that tens of thousands of migrants are being directed across Poland's borders into the EU by both Russia and Belarus.
During a speech in Warsaw on Saturday, Tusk revealed plans to present a new migration policy that entails “the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum” at a forthcoming EU meeting. This announcement will follow an internal government discussion on Tuesday.
“I will demand this,” he stated. “I will demand recognition in Europe for this decision.”
The reception of Tusk’s proposal in Brussels remains uncertain. The EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights affirms the right to asylum across its 27 member states, while the Common European Asylum System seeks to ensure that migrants receive similar treatment regardless of the EU country in which they first arrive.
However, Tusk claimed that the asylum process is being exploited by “[Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, [and] by people smugglers [and] people traffickers.”
Since 2021, the volume of migrants crossing the border from Belarus to Poland has surged, with around 2,500 crossings each month this year, despite Poland's efforts in erecting a border fence and pushing back large groups. The Polish Foreign Ministry has asserted that Belarus is actively inviting asylum seekers and instructing them to enter Poland under the directive of Russian security services.
Both Moscow and Minsk deny involvement in the migrant crisis.
Most individuals entering Poland aim to continue their journey to western Europe, where asylum benefits are said to be more favorable. In response to the increasing number of arrivals, last month Germany reinstated border checks at all land crossings. Earlier this year, German police faced allegations of “dumping” thousands of migrants back across the Polish border.
In a twist, Polish media reported a year ago that the country’s Foreign Ministry and consulates had participated in similar activities to those they are now accusing Belarus and Russia of conducting. Multiple reports indicate that ministry employees have sold up to 350,000 visas to migrants from Asia and Africa since 2021, fully aware that most would head to Germany after entering Poland.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a speech in Warsaw on Saturday, Tusk revealed plans to present a new migration policy that entails “the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum” at a forthcoming EU meeting. This announcement will follow an internal government discussion on Tuesday.
“I will demand this,” he stated. “I will demand recognition in Europe for this decision.”
The reception of Tusk’s proposal in Brussels remains uncertain. The EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights affirms the right to asylum across its 27 member states, while the Common European Asylum System seeks to ensure that migrants receive similar treatment regardless of the EU country in which they first arrive.
However, Tusk claimed that the asylum process is being exploited by “[Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, [and] by people smugglers [and] people traffickers.”
Since 2021, the volume of migrants crossing the border from Belarus to Poland has surged, with around 2,500 crossings each month this year, despite Poland's efforts in erecting a border fence and pushing back large groups. The Polish Foreign Ministry has asserted that Belarus is actively inviting asylum seekers and instructing them to enter Poland under the directive of Russian security services.
Both Moscow and Minsk deny involvement in the migrant crisis.
Most individuals entering Poland aim to continue their journey to western Europe, where asylum benefits are said to be more favorable. In response to the increasing number of arrivals, last month Germany reinstated border checks at all land crossings. Earlier this year, German police faced allegations of “dumping” thousands of migrants back across the Polish border.
In a twist, Polish media reported a year ago that the country’s Foreign Ministry and consulates had participated in similar activities to those they are now accusing Belarus and Russia of conducting. Multiple reports indicate that ministry employees have sold up to 350,000 visas to migrants from Asia and Africa since 2021, fully aware that most would head to Germany after entering Poland.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
