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Poland moves closer to asylum probation at border with Russian associate
(MENAFN) Poland is nearing approval of a controversial law that would block most asylum claims from migrants arriving via Belarus. While the bill still requires President Andrzej Duda’s signature, it has already been endorsed by the EU despite criticism that it violates international law.
In February, Poland’s parliament passed a measure allowing authorities to suspend the right to seek asylum at the Belarusian border. Officials argue the policy is necessary to counter what they describe as “hybrid warfare” tactics by Belarus and Russia, which Minsk and Moscow deny.
Speaking on Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized the urgency of securing Poland’s border, noting that authorities record hundreds of illegal crossing attempts daily.
“We, Poles, do not have time, because... every day we record 100, 150, 200 attempts to cross the border illegally,” he said.
Despite reported frustration over Tusk’s public pressure, Duda is expected to sign the bill given his strong stance on border security.
The EU has supported Poland’s decision, stating in 2024 that Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to exploit the asylum system for political leverage. However, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that the law would breach international and European regulations, which prohibit returning asylum seekers to places where they face persecution or harm.
Human Rights Watch has also condemned the bill, arguing that it effectively legalizes ongoing unlawful pushbacks at the Belarus-Poland border.
The migrant crisis began in 2021, when thousands of people—primarily from the Middle East and Africa—began crossing into Poland from Belarus. The influx followed EU sanctions on Minsk over alleged fraud in Belarus' 2020 presidential election, which President Alexander Lukashenko denies.
In January 2024, Lukashenko stated he would not intervene to stop migration into the EU, saying:
“They slapped my people with sanctions, and I have to protect them? No way.”
In February, Poland’s parliament passed a measure allowing authorities to suspend the right to seek asylum at the Belarusian border. Officials argue the policy is necessary to counter what they describe as “hybrid warfare” tactics by Belarus and Russia, which Minsk and Moscow deny.
Speaking on Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized the urgency of securing Poland’s border, noting that authorities record hundreds of illegal crossing attempts daily.
“We, Poles, do not have time, because... every day we record 100, 150, 200 attempts to cross the border illegally,” he said.
Despite reported frustration over Tusk’s public pressure, Duda is expected to sign the bill given his strong stance on border security.
The EU has supported Poland’s decision, stating in 2024 that Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to exploit the asylum system for political leverage. However, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that the law would breach international and European regulations, which prohibit returning asylum seekers to places where they face persecution or harm.
Human Rights Watch has also condemned the bill, arguing that it effectively legalizes ongoing unlawful pushbacks at the Belarus-Poland border.
The migrant crisis began in 2021, when thousands of people—primarily from the Middle East and Africa—began crossing into Poland from Belarus. The influx followed EU sanctions on Minsk over alleged fraud in Belarus' 2020 presidential election, which President Alexander Lukashenko denies.
In January 2024, Lukashenko stated he would not intervene to stop migration into the EU, saying:
“They slapped my people with sanctions, and I have to protect them? No way.”
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