Poland reaffirms opposition to EU's proposed migrant relocation plan

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) – Polish President Andrzej Duda reaffirmed his country’s steadfast opposition to the EU's proposed migrant relocation plan, Polish news agency PAP reported on Thursday.

The plan, designed to distribute the migration burden currently shouldered primarily by countries like Italy and Greece, has faced strong resistance from Poland and Hungary.

President Duda emphasized that Poland's position on this matter remains "uniform and unchanging."

He pointed out that it was a previous Polish government, specifically the Civic Platform-Polish People's Party (PO-PSL) coalition that had originally approved a migrant quota scheme. In contrast, the current ruling coalition is vehemently opposed to such measures.

Duda underscored the importance of border protection as a core obligation for EU member countries, particularly those in the Schengen zone.

He affirmed that Poland has consistently fulfilled this obligation, reinforcing the nation's commitment to secure borders.

The Polish president also urged people to vote in a referendum scheduled for Oct. 15, the same day as the general election. One of the referendum's four questions will address the contentious issue of migration.

Duda emphasized that the referendum results would authorize those in power to represent the will of the Polish people on the European stage.

Poland's opposition to the EU migration scheme is rooted in its belief that mandatory solidarity is inappropriate. In a recent vote, Poland and Hungary opposed the last part of the EU migrant relocation pact, with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria abstaining. The majority vote cleared the way for negotiations with the European Parliament to finalize the new migration regulations.

The draft regulation, approved by the EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council in early June, requires EU members to accept an initial quota of 30,000 migrants from countries facing significant migration pressure from the Middle East and Africa or pay approximately €22,000 ($23,014) per non-admitted migrant.

Amidst increasing migration affecting certain EU member states, including Poland, some countries have reintroduced border checks to address the issue.