Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced plans to temporarily suspend the right to asylum as part of his government’s new migration strategy, aimed at tackling the sharp rise in irregular migration from Belarus.
Tusk revealed the plan during a speech in Warsaw to his centre-right Civic Coalition political group, stating that the right to asylum was being abused by people smugglers and orchestrated by Belarus and Russia to destabilise the European Union.
Since 2021, Poland has witnessed a dramatic increase in illegal border crossings, with thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia entering the country from Belarus. Warsaw has repeatedly accused Belarus and Russia of conducting “hybrid warfare” by directing the flow of migrants towards EU member states—an accusation both nations deny.
Tusk emphasised the need for tighter border controls, declaring that Poland must regain 100% control over who comes to Poland.
He stated, “One of the elements of the migration strategy will be the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum,” and added that he would push for European recognition of the move, despite the country’s obligations under international law.
While Belarus and Russia are at the centre of Tusk’s allegations, Germany has also taken action, introducing checks on its border with Poland due to concerns over the migrants using Poland as a transit country.
Tusk’s pro-EU government has surprised many by continuing the hard-line migration policies of the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government, which built a 5.5-metre-high steel fence along its border with Belarus and authorised pushbacks.
Following the tragic death of a Polish soldier in July, the government passed legislation permitting security forces to use firearms in self-defence, further solidifying its tough stance on migration.
Despite the controversial nature of these policies, opinion polls show widespread support among the public, with 86% backing the use of firearms by security forces.
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski credited the Civic Coalition’s strong migration policy as a key factor in their electoral victory last year, noting that it allowed them to “outflank” the previously ruling PiS on the right.
However, rights groups have voiced significant concerns about Tusk’s latest proposal. NGOs estimate that over 130 migrants have died at the Belarusian-Polish border since the crisis began, with many criticising the government’s handling of the humanitarian situation.
Malgorzata Szuleka of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights described Tusk’s stance as “a new low,” calling for a more rational and less populist-driven approach to the crisis.
Tusk is expected to present the full details of his migration strategy at a government meeting on 15 October, where further discussions about the proposed suspension of asylum rights will take place.
Follow us on:
