Polônia suspends temporarily the right of asylum due to tensions at the border with Belarus
A decision was made by the Polish government to temporarily suspend the right of asylum for foreigners attempting to enter the country from Belarus. The move comes in response to the escalating tensions and unrest at the shared border between the two countries.
The decision was announced by the Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, who stated that the suspension will be in effect for 30 days, starting from August 28th.
Poland has accused Belarus of deliberately facilitating the illegal migration of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa, in a bid to create instability and pressure on both the Polish and EU borders. In response, the EU and the US have strongly condemned Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s actions, calling them a violation of international law and human rights.
The EU has also pledged to provide additional support to Poland, including financial aid and deployment of Frontex personnel at the border. Poland, on the other hand, has started constructing a barbed wire fence and deploying extra border guards to prevent any further illegal entries.
Polish authorities have reported a significant increase in illegal border crossings, with over 3,000 attempts in August alone, compared to only about 300 in the entire year of 2020. According to border guards, they have had to deal with instances of migrants throwing rocks and using physical force to try and push their way through the border.
The suspension of the right of asylum is a temporary measure, and according to the Polish government, it will be lifted once the situation at the border improves. Meanwhile, Poland has urged the EU to take stronger actions against Belarus, including imposing harsher sanctions and suspending all flights from the country.
Source: G1 – https://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2021/08/28/polonia-suspende-temporariamente-direito-de-asilo-devido-a-tensoes-na-fronteira-com-belarus.ghtml