The meeting of Polish and German Ministers of the Interior
19.11.2021
On Thursday (18 November), Minister Mariusz Kamiński met in Warsaw with Horst Seehofer, the Minister of the Interior, Building and Community of the Federal Republic of Germany. The main topic discussed was the current situation on the Poland-Belarus border.
During the conversation, Minister Seehofer expressed thanks for the actions of the Polish services in securing the eastern border of the European Union and promised solidarity with Poland in the face of the tense situation on the border with Belarus. The Ministers discussed the activities of the services of both countries, emphasising the good cooperation on the Poland-Germany border. In particular, measures to combat the smuggling of illegal migrants who have crossed the EU border illegally. The Ministers said that Polish and German services remain in constant contact with each other.
After the meeting, the Heads of the Ministries of the Interior made statements to the press. – "It was a very good, crucial conversation about cooperation and joint assessments of what is happening on the eastern border of Poland and the European Union. It is our common fight for this border to be stable and safe," said Minister Mariusz Kamiński. In response to the letter from the Ministers of the Interior of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Austria, he pointed out that humanitarian organisations will receive support for their work with immigrants on the Belarusian side. "Yesterday, the European Commission decided to allocate funds for humanitarian assistance to migrants who are on the other side of the border. We expect increased activity from the UNHCR in Minsk. We need to take quick action on the possible drop in temperature so that these people are not in danger of dying on the other side of the border," he said. He added that the latest information shows that the first returns of migrants to their countries of origin have already begun. The first group of several hundred migrants flew from Minsk to Baghdad today.
Horst Seehofer, Head of the German Ministry of the Interior, expressed gratitude for the actions of Polish services on the Poland-Belarus border. - "Thank you and the Polish Government for taking such a clear course in the face of such a challenge. I can only thank you for that, and I express my solidarity in this difficult situation, which concerns all of us in the European Union, not just Poland," he said. He also dismissed information that the German Federal Government would be ready to accept immigrants from Belarus. "We do not do anything behind our partner's back," he emphasised. At the same time, he stressed that he supports all actions which lead to helping migrants in Belarus. "We must take care of them, but we will not accept them. That would mean that Lukashenko's calculation has worked. Humanitarian aid is supposed to reduce the suffering of these people, but the goal is to send them back to their countries of origin," he said.