In a resolute declaration, Mateusz Morawiecki, the Prime Minister of Poland, has reiterated his country’s stance on migration, firmly rejecting European Union (EU) plans for a mandatory migrant relocation scheme and emphasizing that the decision should be made by Polish citizens through a public referendum.
The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland has placed the issue of migration from the Middle East and Africa at the forefront of its electoral campaign ahead of the upcoming parliamentary vote on October 15. Prime Minister Morawiecki outlined the government’s strategy to address illegal border crossings during a recent address, highlighting several key points.
“We want a referendum on migration. We do not agree to any dictates, forced quotas, or violations of our rights and sovereignty. We want Poles to decide about it. This is the plan of the Law and Justice government,” Morawiecki stated in a video released on Monday on X (formerly known as Twitter).
As disclosed by the Prime Minister on Monday (Aug 14), a crucial question in the forthcoming national referendum, scheduled alongside the parliamentary elections, will be: “Do you support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the forced relocation mechanism imposed by European bureaucracy?”
Morawiecki emphasized that the construction of a border wall along the Polish-Belarusian border was a significant signal aimed at deterring migrants, whom he claimed were being manipulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko. These migrants, according to the Prime Minister, are channelled from the Middle East to Belarus and subsequently moved to the Polish border.
“We have invested in the border guard and even engaged the army so that everyone who crosses the wall knows that they will be searched for and deported,” Morawiecki asserted.
While advocating for a unified European stance on border security, Morawiecki underlined the importance of reforming the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, known as Frontex, to enhance the protection of Poland’s borders. He also called on the European Commission to restructure the budget to support the development of countries that are the primary sources of mass immigration.
In a bid to regulate the distribution of social benefits, Morawiecki suggested limitations on benefits for individuals from outside the EU. “We cannot allow the system to be abused. Money should be spent better and go primarily to European Union citizens who work hard and pay taxes,” he argued.
The Prime Minister additionally stressed the necessity of combatting human trafficking by collaborating with international law enforcement agencies like Europol, Interpol, and Frontex. He called for measures to curb cooperation between non-governmental organizations and people smugglers, implying that such collaboration was contributing to the crisis.