– The defense of the border is the most important thing. But it is still a question whether this defense cannot mean cooperation with organizations that can approach refugees humanely and can also support the activities of the services – said Maciej Żywno, Deputy Speaker of the Senate (Poland 2050-Trzecia Droga) in “Fakty po Faktach” on TVN24. He added that he would like the promise to allow humanitarian organizations that provide assistance to those in need to be kept.
The buffer zone at the Polish-Belarusian border will be in force for 90 days longer – results from the regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, which was published in the Journal of Laws on Tuesday. The document comes into force on Wednesday.
The new regulation does not change the length and width of the buffer zone, which will continue to apply to a section of 60.67 km, located within the territorial range of the Border Guard posts in Narewka, Białowieża, Dubicze Cerkiewne and Czeremcha.
Żywno: I would like non-governmental organizations to be allowed
The situation on the Polish-Belarusian border was commented on in “Fakty po Faktach” on TVN24 by Maciej Żywno, Deputy Marshal of the Senate from Poland 2050-Third Way, former Voivode of Podlaskie.
– The positive thing is definitely that the wave of refugees has decreased and we probably all expected that, that there would be fewer (illegal – ed.) crossings. Here, we must praise ministers Kosiniak-Kamysz and Siemoniak, above all, for the fact that more police, gendarmerie (Military Gendarmerie – ed.), and therefore services specializing in the detention formula, have appeared. This was a good direction, because these are the formations that should be the first, competent and dedicated to support the Border Guard – he said.
He added, however, that there are signals from activists that Border Guard accepts the possibility of submitting documents from refugees (concerning applying for asylum – ed.), especially if it concerns families and children, but “it is still the case that many are turned back from the border to the border crossings, transferred through the gates”.
– I would like the promise to be kept, which has not been fully kept, i.e. to let non-governmental and humanitarian organizations in to help. I would like to emphasize here that we have a situation in which Doctors Without Borders can be let in to the front lines Ukraineand on the Polish-Belarusian border they get passes, but rarely. But I also had an intervention in which the treatment of Doctors Without Borders (by uniformed officers – ed.) was far from professional – he said.
– I fully agree with the Prime Minister. Donald Tuskthat defending the border is the most important thing. But the question is still whether this defense cannot mean cooperation with organizations that can approach refugees humanely and can also support the activities of the services, which in many cases also help, provide medical supplies or food – he said.
– So it turns out that we really can build this model so that it is humane and at the same time tough, when it comes to, for example, aggressive refugees, and this is the direction we should go – he emphasized.
– I understand that formally in this narrative there must be such a signal that “there is no possibility of passage”, but at the same time we must also send a signal to our own citizens who are in non-governmental organizations that “you are partners on whom we count in solving this problem” – he appealed.
Main image source: TVN24