President Karol Nawrocki does not agree that the migration-related problems we see in Western Europe should affect Polish men and women, emphasized on Friday Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Bureau of International Policy (BPM). According to Przydacz, the response to the migration crisis should be “tightening borders, fighting smugglers, and pursuing a wise development policy.”
Strong opposition to the EU’s migration policy
In recent days, the President sent a letter to European Commission (KE) President Ursula von der Leyen, stating that there would be no consent to any actions by EU institutions aimed at relocating illegal migrants to Poland. He expressed hope that the Commission President would take this stance into account in her decisions.
In this context, Przydacz, who is accompanying the President during his visit to Estonia, was asked at Friday’s briefing about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s remarks, in which Orbán expressed satisfaction with Nawrocki’s letter. Orbán emphasized that Hungary also opposes the so-called migration pact and that “if a third country joins, it will already be a rebellion.”
“The European Union is not the owner of the member states and cannot dictate to sovereign states what to do, even in matters concerning their own security,” said the head of the Presidential BPM.
He added that “it is not yet the case that Brussels will decide what happens on the streets of Polish cities – those decisions are made by the sovereign authorities of the Polish state.“
“President Karol Nawrocki does not agree that the problems we see in Western Europe should also affect Polish men and women,” Przydacz stressed. “For us, the commitment to Poles is more important than attempts to solve problems for which Poland bears no responsibility,” he added. The BPM chief stated that the response to the growing migration crisis is not to accept more migrants but rather “to tighten borders, fight smugglers, and implement a smart development policy to help those nations and states facing various difficulties stabilize their situation – thereby minimizing the risk of migration.“
The European Commission responds to President Nawrocki’s letter
European Commission (KE) spokesman Markus Lammert said on Friday that the Commission had received President Nawrocki’s letter. He emphasized that Poland faces a specific situation at its borders, where migration is being weaponized, and that the Commission fully supports Poland – both politically and through additional financial aid for border protection.
The so-called migration pact, intended to distribute responsibility for managing migration across all EU member states, was approved by EU ministers in May last year – despite opposition from Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.
The regulations include a so-called mandatory solidarity mechanism, requiring the relocation of at least 30,000 migrants per year. Member states that refuse to process asylum applications will have to pay €20,000 for each unprocessed case or provide alternative solidarity measures, such as sending personnel. The rules also take into account which countries are under the greatest migration pressure – so that those less affected can assist the more burdened ones.
In his letter to the Commission President, the Polish head of state wrote, among other things, that “for over four years, Poland’s eastern border has been under constant migratory pressure orchestrated by the Moscow regime using the Belarusian state and its special services,” and that Poland allocates significant resources to ensure the security of the EU’s eastern border while “bearing the costs of supporting war refugees from Ukraine.“