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Poland will continue 'sensible' migration policy: PM

PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea 05.04.2017 17:05
Poland will continue to pursue a “sensible migration policy”, Prime Minister Beata Szydło said on Wednesday.
Polish PM Beata Szydło. Photo: PAP/Marcin ObaraPolish PM Beata Szydło. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

“I am resistant to ‘blackmail and pressure’, which are used in Brussels, among other places,” Szydło told a press conference.

On Tuesday, the UK’s The Times daily reported that Poland and Hungary could be forced out of the EU if they do not accept migrants under a Brussels relocation scheme. The daily added that the bloc plans to issue an ultimatum to Warsaw and Budapest.

“Since we took power in Poland, the government under my direction has made it clear that we will not accept such a solution because we recognise it as a bad thing, especially for Europe,” she added.

Szydło said that Brexit was partly caused by an irresponsible migration policy.

“The European Union made a fatal mistake – under pressure from all sorts of lobbyists, but also largely under German pressure – to adopt solutions that have proven not only to be ineffective and not address the migration problem, but have also led to the fact that only 27 countries [remain in the EU],” Szydło said.

Following the terrorist attack in London in late March, Szydło drew a link between terrorism and the EU’s migration policy during an interview with private broadcaster TVN.

“I hear in Europe very often: do not connect migration policy with terrorism, but it is impossible not to connect them," Szydło said.

In 2015, EU leaders decided the bloc’s member states would share the burden of taking in a total of roughly 160,000 asylum seekers, mainly from the Middle East and Africa.

The plan aimed to alleviate pressure on Greece and Italy after the arrival of more than two million migrants, mainly to those countries, amid a refugee crisis which saw illegal immigration figures surge in 2015.

Brussels said Poland should take in some 6,200 of the asylum seekers by September 2017. But the country has not yet accepted any of the refugees. (rg/pk)

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