“Today, for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the easiest course of action is to do nothing and leave citizens abroad, because being active in this matter requires work and additional commitment,” assessed PiS MEP Piotr Müller, criticizing the government’s inaction toward Poles stranded in the Middle East. He appealed to the authorities to use solutions implemented by the United Right if they “do not know how to handle it.”
The Czech Republic and Slovakia are sending evacuation planes for citizens stranded in the Middle East, which is currently affected by military operations. The Polish government is not taking such steps, arguing that it would be dangerous. Numerous reports are emerging in the public sphere suggesting that Polish diplomatic missions are not responding to signals from Polish citizens. Such information is also said to be reaching opposition politicians directly.
“We are receiving a mass of emails and phone calls saying that Polish citizens have been left to fend for themselves, that they cannot even contact the relevant diplomatic missions in the countries where they are currently staying,” Piotr Müller, a PiS MEP, said on Monday.
What Is the Foreign Ministry Doing?
The politician assessed the work of the diplomatic service critically. “The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has, in a scandalous manner, suggested to journalists asking about the fate of Polish citizens that these journalists allegedly wish for Polish planes to be shot at. This is a situation without precedent,” he stated.
“I recall numerous crisis situations in which we helped Polish citizens abroad—whether during the outbreak of the epidemic or during various armed conflicts. Today, the Foreign Ministry believes that informing people that there is a risk of war in one country relieves them of responsibility for all neighboring countries, and in general of any responsibility to take action,” he emphasized.
He added that the opposition expects the Foreign Ministry to “launch a very broad information campaign and ensure the possibility of reaching diplomatic missions by phone.” “If you do not know how to do it, I encourage you to use the measures we implemented during our time in government, when war broke out and there was a call center,” he said.
“Today, once again, the government is showing that it is simply ineffective in communicating with citizens in situations of danger. Not to mention that it is not organizing assistance where it is possible and safe to do so, in a way that would help those who currently have no possibility of returning to their homeland […] The Foreign Ministry prefers to sit back and say, ‘we warned you,’ and thus allegedly consider themselves relieved of any obligation to act,” he concluded.