The Prime Minister made me very sad. What he said about suspending the right to asylum was astonishing, said Dr. Hanna MachiĆska, lawyer and former deputy Ombudsman, in the “Fakty po Faktach” program on TVN24. She appealed to Prime Minister Donald Tusk to conduct broad consultations with activists and non-governmental organizations. – We have extensive experience in this area – she added. – When saying these words, Tusk was perfectly aware that not only Poland was listening to him today – said MEP Janusz Lewandowski. According to him, the head of government's statement was addressed “primarily to Lukashenko.”
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.
MachiĆska: we are racing in radicalism with PiS
– The Prime Minister made me very sad. What he said was astonishing – said Dr. Hanna MachiĆska, 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 MachiĆska.
MachiĆska 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.
MachiĆska 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.
Appeal to the Prime Minister
MachiĆska 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 MachiĆska.
Lewandowski: Tusk spoke primarily to Lukashenko
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.
Main photo source: PAP/PaweĆ Supernak