The crisis around illegal immigrants trying to get to the European Union through the Polish-Belarusian border is not abating. Warsaw responded with a refusal to the proposals of the European Commission to ease the conditions for the admission and temporary detention of refugees. With similar initiatives, Brussels turned to the authorities of Lithuania and Latvia, but they are still waiting for a response. Be that as it may, even Poland’s position is sufficient to escalate the border situation and further diplomatic battles.
In its recommendations of December 1, addressed to Warsaw, Vilnius and Riga, the European Commission, in particular, proposed temporary – only for the next six months – steps.
First of all, this is an increase in the period for registering applications for asylum (up to one month instead of the current maximum of 10 days). Secondly, ensuring proper conditions of detention for those awaiting a verdict on the petition. It is not only about logistics, but also about open access to health care, as well as about “full respect for human dignity.” Finally, thirdly, the facilitation of the deportation procedure in case of rejection of the application.
Warsaw’s response to these proposals was voiced by Poland’s ambassador to the EU Andrzej Sados: “The European Commission made a decision that is absolutely opposite to our proposals.” “We suggested that the response to the hybrid attack (the Polish diplomat implies the actions of the Belarusian side – MK) would be the possibility of suspending the asylum procedure, rather than extending the [consideration of applications],” he recalled.
The authorities of Latvia and Lithuania, which received similar proposals from the European Commission (in fact, it was a single appeal to the three republics bordering on Belarus), are currently hesitating to answer, but there is little doubt that they are gradually and unobtrusively also solidifying with Poland. And this, in turn, is fraught with a split in the “common European home” – in the Polish direction it has always taken place, but now Brussels has almost no options to “admonish” Warsaw.
While there is talk about the legalization of the flow of migrants, illegal immigrants are already entering the aforementioned countries by the thousands. However, so far their presence is not widespread and not striking.
Michal Prushinsky from the Polish city of Zabluduv, which is 80 km from the border with Belarus, in a conversation with “MK” noted: reports of the entry of illegal immigrants have been going on for a long time, but they were not noticed in the vicinity of his settlement.
– Of course, the local residents would not like the resettlement of just such refugees – those who are without the necessary documents, etc. If our services formalize them, give them something like social housing, dormitories of some kind, the opportunity to work, – you are welcome. But, I suspect, for most of them, our country is just a transit point.
– If we talk about the position of the Polish authorities in the dialogue with Brussels, how can it be assessed?
– I am not a supporter of the current leadership of the country, in many respects I do not agree with him, but now we see that it is acting in the interests of its country. What the opposite [Belarusian – “MK”] side is doing is a provocation. You cannot give in to it, otherwise tomorrow Lukashenka will find new ways to put pressure on the EU, which is already ready to make concessions.
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