Poland's migration strategy. “There is no other logic of action today than the logic of deterrence”

The guests of the Sunday edition of “Kawa na ława” on TVN24 talked about migration strategyproposed by the government. Some of its solutions are opposed by members of the Council of Ministers from the Left. This concerns the temporary suspension of the right to submit asylum applications.

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Deputy Minister of Education Katarzyna Lubnauer (vice-chairman of Nowoczesna, KO) assessed that “exceptional situations require exceptional actions.” – And this is the record of the conclusions of the summit in Brussels, which took place on October 16, i.e. on Thursday. And he says quite clearly that, firstly, everything that Tusk actually proposed was accepted, she said.

According to her, “it can be said that Prime Minister Tusk was a certain leader of this summit, who showed the direction in which migration policy must go.”

– We also had to deal with a situation in which it was quite clearly admitted that the situation had changed in terms of what the current purpose of these migrations was. These are no longer migrations where someone flees from the war to the nearest country, but this is an organized hybrid war on the part of Putin and Lukashenko, Belarus and Russiawhich aims to send people to Poland who, even if we decide that they do not have the right to asylum, there is nowhere to send them back, Lubnauer pointed out.

According to the MP Radosław Fogel (Law and Justice) strategy “this is turbopopulism, because asylum is not the problem.”

– Since the minister herself (Lubnauer – editor's note) admits that these people are part of the hybrid war, brought there by Lukashenko and Putin, no decisions will dissuade them from doing so – he said. – These are not people who appeared there by accident and are looking for asylum in Poland. If they were seeking asylum in Poland, as we have been repeating from the very beginning of this attack, they would use border crossings, they would use the procedure enabling international protection. These people are not looking for asylum, asylum is not the problem, he said.

At the same time, he stressed that “suspending the acceptance of asylum applications is possible under the provisions in force, there is no need to make any mess here.” – In turn, the suspension of the right to asylum as such is unrealistic under the Geneva Convention and (the Charter of) Fundamental Rights – he added.

Anita Kucharska-Dziedzic (vice-chairman of the Left) drew attention to the legal provisions that regulate asylum issues for foreigners. She pointed, among other things, to Article 18 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. It says that “the right to asylum is guaranteed in accordance with the principles of the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 and the Protocol of 31 January 1967 relating to the status of refugees and in accordance with the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.”

– The question is how we will solve it legally, to actually regulate certain things and prevent the exploitation of unhappy and determined people. I don't care whether they are people fleeing from the war or people fleeing for a better life. But we have to really regulate this with respect for human rights – she said.

Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Piotr Zgorzelski (PSL – Third Way) argued that “today we cannot oppose articles against these gangs, criminals released from prison.” – We just need to use force that will stop the hybrid war attacks ordered by Putin and Lukashenko – he said.

He also noted that “the tools we adopt must be subject to the consent of the European Union to such and no other course of action.” – That is why I believe that what is happening today, in terms of changing the paradigm of European leaders compared to what was before, is also due to the effectiveness of Polish representatives – said Zgorzelski.

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According to him, “there is no other logic of action today than the logic of deterrence.” – For this to happen, appropriate legal provisions must be created. And what we hear is that some articles are being violated – today it is more important to protect the European Union against a flood of migrants – he said.

The president's adviser, Professor Andrzej Zybertowicz, admitted that “Law and Justice, during eight years of rule, was unable to adopt a document defining the migration strategy.”

– It was a serious lapse and the scale of this lapse becomes noticeable only after some time – he added.

In the opinion of MEP Stanisław Tyszka (Confederation) “this is not a strategy for Poland.” – Because it completely ignores the fact that currently 10 percent of citizens are foreigners. The question this strategy should answer is whether we give social privileges to people who do not have Polish citizenship? – he said.

– This is a fundamental question that the strategies of civilized countries answer: When we invite people here, do we give them social benefits from the pockets of Polish taxpayers, or do we not? The Confederation is the only one who believes that we do not give, he continued. – The second thing that was missing is who we want to invite, what are the limits of these people, from what geographical directions and so on – he added.

– So at this point we will not allow Tusk to cover up the issue of asylum and the quarrel with the Left with the fact that Poland did not have and does not have an immigration strategy – added Tyszka.