2024-10-17 15:05 update: 2024-10-18, 11:34
Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the European leaders he met with on Thursday had expressed "understanding" regarding his stance on migration.
Before the summit of the European Council on Thursday, Tusk took part in a meeting on migration organised by Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Apart from Tusk, the meeting was attended by the leaders of Austria, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic, as well as the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Two days prior to the summit, on Tuesday, the Polish government enacted its new migration policy for the years 2025-2030. This policy included a temporary territorial halt to the granting of asylum by Poland in the event of any potential destabilisation risks stemming from an influx of immigrants. Upon the initial announcement of this decision on Saturday, Tusk said that he would "seek acknowledgment from Europe."
On Thursday, Tusk told reporters: "I've had a meeting with all the major players. I achieved what I aimed for, which is mainly - understanding."
"It's not about a complete halt to the right to asylum, but rather about a temporary, territorial suspension of accepting applications in places where the border is breached illegally by force, that is, at the Belarusian border," he added. "Everyone here understands that."
According to Tusk, no one within the EU "has an issue" regarding Poland's right to adopt such measures. "Everyone understands how complex the situation is when hostile regimes are involved in human trafficking," he said. "I must say... that it went easier than I would have anticipated."
He added: "For me, it was important that there are no negative opinions about our ideas - and there certainly won't be any."
Thursday's summit of the European Council will primarily focus on matters related to migration. Von der Leyen is expected to propose the establishment of migration centers located outside the European Union, while Tusk will introduce the idea of suspending the right to asylum. (PAP)
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