Poland’s Tusk plans to suspend right to asylum in face of border pressure

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he plans to temporarily suspend the right to asylum (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)

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

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

He did not give details, but said at a convention of his Civic Coalition that “we will reduce illegal migration in Poland to a minimum”.

How this right to asylum is used is in exact contradiction to the idea of the right to asylum

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

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

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

Mr Tusk’s comments came after foreign minister Radek Sikorski said on Thursday that Poland will tighten its visa regulations, stepping up the vetting of applicants. That decision follows an investigation into a cash-for-visas scandal under the country’s previous government.