“We are competing with PiS in radicalism.” Comments do not subside after the Prime Minister's announcement about asylum

On Saturday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the Civic Coalition convention announced that on Tuesday, October 15, at the meeting of the Council of Ministers, he will present the government's migration strategy – “Regain control, ensure security.” One of its elements will be temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum. – If, for example, I say loudly today that one of the elements of the migration strategy will be the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum, and I demand recognition in Europe for this decision, it will be because we know well how it is used by Lukashenko and Putin. , by smugglers, people smugglers, human traffickers. How the right to asylum is being used exactly contrary to the essence of the right to asylum, Tusk said.

– The Prime Minister made me very sad. What he said was astonishing – said Dr. Hanna Machińska, lawyer and former deputy of the Commissioner for Human Rights, in the “Fakty po Faktach” program on TVN24. – I wonder what the legal basis for such a suspension would be. Should we suspend Article 56 of the Constitution, should we suspend the European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights? – she added.

She emphasized that “Poland's security is a form of migration management, but with respect for international law and human rights.” – You can't say “we do with the asylum whatever we like” – said Machińska.

Machińska said that “we are racing in radicalism with PiS.” – We're going further than that PIS. We did nothing when it comes to the law that allowed the authorities to carry out so-called “pushbacks”, i.e. deportations, this law is still in force. Is this how we ensure safety? We do not know who comes to Poland, there is no individual procedure. Does the Act on Weapons and Direct Coercive Measures that we are protesting ensure security? This is creating a danger, she said.

Machińska said that “under no circumstances” could she imagine that “any body or international institution would express readiness for Poland or other countries to suspend the basic right to asylum.” – This is a fundamental right. Do we want to break European Union law? “It's absolutely unimaginable,” she said. She stressed that there was “no way” of suspending this law, even temporarily. – Because then what does the Polish constitution mean to us? – she wondered.

Machińska appealed to Donald Tusk. – I appeal to the Prime Minister to conduct broad consultations with activists and non-governmental organizations. For him to meet with us and talk, we have extensive experience in this field, she said.

She added that “today is the moment when we will send a request to the Prime Minister for a meeting.” – Because if the migration policy is so radical and anti-migration, we will not achieve any successes, on the contrary. This oppressiveness works to the detriment of Poland and, unfortunately, contradicts the message that it is supposed to ensure security. This is no way to ensure safety, argued Machińska.

The Prime Minister's words about the “temporary suspension of the right to asylum” were also commented on by KO MEP Janusz Lewandowski in “Fakty po Faktach”.

– When saying these words, Tusk was perfectly aware that not only Poland was listening to him today. He also said to Poland, it was a signal: we are so desperate, so determined to provide you with the gift you are waiting for, which is the most desired at a moment when these existential fears have returned to the European continent, because there is war. And at the same time he said to Lukashenko: be careful, sir, this practice of state smuggling will no longer be profitable, it must be abandoned, because the goal of conflicting Polish society will not be achieved – commented Lewandowski.

He compared these words to “arming, not to go to war, but to avoid war, to deter.” – In my opinion, these are signals addressed to his own society and to Lukashenko, especially to Lukashenko, by a man who is aware that asylum is included in the Human Rights Convention and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. So he's saying this to prevent such a situation from happening, he said.