Polish PM considering increasing refugee quota

Kopacz said that “a common and effective action of the European Union is in our best interests today.”

In July, Poland had pledged to take in 2,000 refugees, solely Syrians and Eritreans, but on Wednesday, Juncker called on member states to take part in “the emergency relocation of altogether 160,000 refugees.”

The Polish PM, who had previously been noncommittal about taking in more refugees, said following a meeting with ministers and the Speaker of the Senate on Wednesday evening that “at the moment we are dealing with a much more serious situation [than previously], a real humanitarian disaster, which is why we are very seriously considering increasing our commitment.

However, she stressed that “we want Poland to have control over who and how many will come to us.

“Negotiations on this issue are already underway.” she noted.

Kopacz argued that “we are threatened with the collapse of European solidarity, a quality which ultimately we Poles make use of and still want to make use of.

The prime minister also noted that if the Ukrainian crisis widens and has more serious ramifications for Poland, Poles would expect solidarity from the EU.

“What about our eastern border? If a serious security threat appeared from the other side of the border, would the rest of the European Union also turn their backs on us?”

Meanwhile, Kopacz regretted that Jarosław Kaczyński and Leszek Miller, the heads of opposition parties Law and Justice and the Democratic Left Alliance, did not take up her invitation to join the meeting.

“I am not convinced that an empty chair is a good response to important Polish issues,” she said. (nh)