Over the last three years, Poland has faced a surge of attempted border crossings from Belarus, prompting stronger security measures and ongoing discussions over migration policies.
ADVERTISEMENTAs Poland prepares to take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said he is willing to sustain controversial measures on migration.
He said Poland’s resolve in protecting its border with Belarus from migrant pressure is gaining wider support and the need for protecting its borders is becoming Europe’s shared approach.
The remarks were made during a meeting with The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in Warsaw on Thursday.
“Not everyone is thrilled with Polish initiatives to temporarily withhold asylum rights. We know that it raises some emotions, which was also a case at our meeting today, but I want to assure that Poland will continue its strict policy in this matter on a national level,” the Polish prime minister said.
Tusk also outlined Poland’s priorities for its upcoming EU presidency in the first half of 2025, focusing on security, energy, and competitiveness.
He emphasised the importance of strengthening Europe’s security, boosting energy resources to regain global competitiveness, and ensuring fair competition to enhance Europe’s position on the world stage.
Tusk stressed that Warsaw’s presidency is coming at a “difficult” and ”critical” moment of geopolitical challenges like the war in neighbouring Ukraine, upcoming presidential elections in another neighbouring country, Belarus, as well as conflicts and tensions in many parts of the world and political crises in some of the biggest European countries.
Metsola echoed these concerns saying, “At this very critical moment, we are facing enormous challenges with Russia threatening our borders and trying to destabilise democracies, with our companies that are trailing American and Chinese rivals.”
Video editor • Rory Elliott Armstrong
