Poland in Favour of Voluntary Admission of Migrants

Last week, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki attended the European Council meeting in Brussels. The main issues discussed were migration and proposals for related mechanisms.

The migrant relocation mechanism is compulsory, and the European Commission does not provide any mechanism to guarantee exemption from the obligations it entails. Failure to accept migrants means fines of more than €20,000 per person. Further, the European Commission can increase both the number of people subject to forced relocation and the amount of the fine. The EU proposal sets out no upper limits and this is something that Poland firmly opposes.

At the Council, the Prime Minister presented Poland’s position that includes opposing the proposal to introduce forced relocation mechanisms, as well as emphasising that the 2018 European Council Conclusions remain binding. These conclusions, endorsed by European leaders, assume that receiving migrants is a voluntary decision of each Member State.

“The forced relocation mechanism proposed by the EU institutions is that each European Union country should accept a certain number of illegal immigrants who reach the European Union or pay steep fines if it does not do so, which results from the EU documents that have been presented. These regulations, as currently proposed by EU institutions, are dangerous for Poland, but also, in the long term, for the entire European Union", stressed government spokesman Piotr Müller.

Secure EU Borders

The safety of Poles is of paramount importance to the government. At the European Council, the head of the Polish government called for strengthening the European Union's borders and reducing illegal migration. To this end, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki presented a Polish plan against illegal migration, called “Europe of secure borders”, which envisages:

• increased investments for guarding the EU’s external borders,
• strengthening Frontex so that it can effectively combat people smugglers,
• tackling mass migration at its source,
• limiting welfare for non-EU citizens and non-war refugees,
• combating people smugglers and the black market.

After the hybrid attacks on the Poland-Belarus border — the eastern border of the European Union — we decided to strengthen it, and to that end, we built a barrier equipped with electronic monitoring equipment. Moreover, to further safeguard the border area, we have increased the number of officers patrolling it.

Joint Action on Border Security

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki invited representatives of all parties and parliamentary groups to the Chancellery of the Prime Minister for joint consultations on forced relocation — the new migration pact.

Only joint action by the entire Polish political class scene can protect Poles from the forced relocation of migrants into our country. The safety of us all lies in the hands of politicians who will defend the Polish raison d'état not only at home but also at the EU forum.

“We would like to thank all those who attended this meeting today, who constructively discussed this important aspect of Poland's security, but also the security of the whole of Europe, of the EU's borders," said Minister Piotr Müller.

We are committed to ensuring that Poland and all of Europe are protected from the dangers posed by migratory flows. We call for the implementation of a package to address the challenges of illegal migration. We call on all MEPs to vote against the so-called migration pact.

By effectively protecting the borders of the European Union and returning illegal immigrants quickly and efficiently to their countries of origin, we can ensure our security. To this end, Member States should limit welfare that encourages further flows of immigrants to Europe. Poland stays committed to a rational migration policy.

Poles Will Have Their Say in a Referendum

At a session of the Polish Sejm in June, Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński announced that Polish men and women would have their say on migration through a referendum. In a few months, all citizens will be able to decide personally whether they are in favour of the forced relocation of migrants or not. With a sufficient turnout, it will be binding on any future ruling party.