2024-10-18 11:32 update: 2024-10-21, 14:48
Photo PAP/EPA
European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen and all EU member states endorse Poland's plans for temporary and territorial suspension of the right to asylum.
Migration, along with the war in Ukraine, was the focal point of the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday.
The leaders voiced their support for countries facing "the instrumentalisation of migrants for political purposes" and pledged to counter it.
"Russia and Belarus, or any other country, cannot be allowed to abuse our values, including the right to asylum, and to undermine our democracies," they wrote in conclusions. "The European Council expresses its solidarity with Poland and Member States facing these challenges. Exceptional situations require appropriate measures."
Von der Leyen told the press that the legality of the suspension of the asylum applications has already been discussed with the Baltic states and Finland. She confirmed that such measures if temporary and proportional are in line with the EU law. The EC head declared to further communicate with Polish authorities on the matter.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the approval of the EU peers. "What was a Polish stance, quite a tough stance, has actually become the mainstream," he noted. He added he expects the very announcement of the measure and adoption of legal tools to effectively discourage illegal immigration attempts.
Two days before the summit, on Tuesday, the Polish government enacted its new migration policy for 2025-2030. This policy includes a temporary territorial suspension of the granting of asylum by Poland in the event of any potential destabilisation risks stemming from an influx of immigrants. (PAP)
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