Poland temporarily suspends right to asylum amid tensions with Belarus

In a significant move, Poland is taking measures to curb irregular migration, driven by escalating tensions with Belarus, by temporarily suspending the right to asylum, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk also condemned the exploitation of the right to asylum by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and people smugglers. According to Tusk, they are using the asylum system in a way that undermines the right to asylum's purpose.

"One of the elements of the migration strategy will be the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum," Tusk said on Saturday.

"I will demand this, I will demand recognition in Europe for this decision," he told a congress held by his liberal Civic Coalition (KO) grouping, the largest member of Poland's coalition government, Al Jazeera reported.

Tusk further informed that he would present the migration strategy at a government meeting on October 15.

Since 2021, migration has dominated Poland's agenda. Thousands of asylum seekers, fleeing from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq's Kurdish region, have attempted to cross into Poland through Belarus.

Notably, with 1,300 km, Poland has the longest border with the former Soviet Republics, namely Russia (Kaliningrad), Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine.

It is estimated that up to about 15,000 people illegally cross the territory of Poland every year. Two main transit routes lead through the country, according to the European Parliament.

The 'Balkan trail' is used by Romanians, Bulgarians and citizens from former Yugoslavia who enter legally because regulations allow a one-month stay without a visa.

The second emigration trail via Poland runs from the Lithuanian border to Germany. This route, mainly used by Asians, is dominated by citizens from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The number of illegal migrants caught at this border has almost doubled since 1996.

By mid-March 2024, Poland has also recorded close to 1.8 million people displaced by the war against Ukraine.