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

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”.

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.

In Norway, police said temporary border checks on its frontiers with other Western European nations are being introduced after the domestic security agency raised the terror threat level.

The checks will apply until October 22, according to a police statement.

It cited “a challenging threat picture” and the October 8 announcement by the security agency, PST, that it was increasing Norway’s threat level from “moderate” to “high”, the second-highest level on a five-tier scale.

PST pointed to an increased threat to Jewish and Israeli targets in particular.

Norway is not a member of the European Union, but the country is part of the European ID-check free travel zone known as the Schengen area. It has land borders with EU and Schengen members Sweden and Finland.

Police said that the new controls will not involve all travellers being checked, and there is no reason to expect delays at border crossings.