Poland excluded from the EU migration pact? Duszczyk: I cannot confirm this information

We have done everything to convince the European Commission that the migration pact must take into account our specific situation – said Maciej Duszczyk, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration on Saturday. On Wednesday, the EC will present the obligations of European Union countries arising from the pact.

The deputy head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration was a guest of RMF FM in the morning. The station reported on Saturday citing unofficial information that Poland – due to the huge number of refugees from Ukraine admitted – is to be excluded from the relocation of migrants and financial contributions of the EU migration pact.

– I cannot confirm this information – said Maciej Duszczyk.

He added that the Polish government did “really everything” to convince the European Commission of its arguments regarding the migration pact.

He recalled that Poland took representatives of the European Union, interior ministers of member states and the Undersecretary of State of the United States Department of Homeland Security to its border. – We have invested a lot of time to convince people that the migration pact must take into account our specific situation – he emphasized. – I hope these arguments are successful, but we are still waiting – he said.

On Wednesday, the European Commission is to present the obligations of European Union countries under the migration pact.

According to RMF FM Polish the government managed to convince Brussels that Poland's situation is exceptional due to the number of war refugees from Ukraine admittedas well as the instrumentalization of migrants on the eastern border and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Therefore, Poland should be among the countries that will not be burdened with relocation or financial contributions.

In February this year Prime Minister Donald Tusk, after talks with EU commissioners and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von de Leyen, announced that Poland will not implement the migration pact in a way that would result in any additional quotas of migrants in Poland. He emphasized that Poland, hosting nearly two million refugees from Ukraine, is a country in a special situation. – I told Poles this recently in an unambiguous manner, and I repeated it to Madam President today. I am glad that my arguments were listened to and understood – he emphasized at a press conference attended by the head of the European Commission.

On Thursday, a letter from President Karol Nawrocki to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was published on social media. The president wrote that Poland would not agree to actions of European institutions that would aim to relocate illegal migrants on its territory.

Poland shows extraordinary solidarity with Ukraine. It has been hosting a large number of Ukrainian refugees for over three years. This is a huge effort that we take fully into account, commented a day later EC spokesman Markus Lammert.

The EU Migration Pact was first proposed by the European Commission in September 2020. The new rules oblige member states to share the costs and efforts of receiving migrants more evenly and reform the EU's asylum and border security procedures, among other changes. The Council of the European Union approved the Pact on May 14, 2024, with Hungary and Poland voting against.

On Saturday, the Law and Justice party will hold a demonstration in Warsaw to express opposition to the policies of Donald Tusk's government, including the migration pact and the trade agreement with the Mercosur countries. (PAP)

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