Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw on Tuesday, Tusk said that this decision was final and should not be turned into a political debate.
As discussions over the EU migration pact continue, Poland is expected to push for greater recognition of its unique position in handling migration pressures.
Tusk told reporters on Tuesday that Poland’s security forces—police, soldiers and border guards—work to minimize the risks of illegal migration, often under dangerous conditions.
"They risk their lives to limit these threats, and no one in Poland or Europe should waste their sacrifices with political decisions," he said.
A soldier was killed while on border duty last June.
Tusk dismissed claims that Poland faces a large-scale migration crisis, saying that concerns about both legal and illegal migration had diminished following the change in government.
"We hear so much talk about the migration threat, but we need to call things by their name," he said.
Tusk’s comments came amid growing debate over the EU’s migration pact, which was formally adopted in 2023 after years of negotiations.
European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert confirmed on Tuesday that the pact is legally binding for all EU member states. However, he noted that it includes flexibility for countries facing exceptional migration pressures.
Lammert referred to a European Commission report from December that acknowledged Poland’s unique situation as a country bordering Russia and Belarus.
The report recognized that Poland is dealing with forced migration challenges, including state-backed efforts by Russia and Belarus to push migrants toward the EU’s eastern frontier—a tactic referred to as "weaponized migration," with both Russia and Belarus exploiting the plight of migrants to put pressure on the EU.
The report also outlined measures EU states could take in response, including suspending asylum rights in emergencies and strengthening border defenses.
Poland has previously called for additional EU support to handle these challenges.
When asked whether Poland would face financial penalties for refusing to accept migrants under the EU pact, Tusk rejected the idea.
He insisted that Poland should receive assistance rather than new obligations.
"Poland has its own problems caused by the war, mainly due to the large number of people who have come here and whom we have welcomed for completely justified reasons," he said, referring to Ukrainian refugees.
While acknowledging the financial strain this has placed on Poland, Tusk said: "Nothing will change our solidarity, especially with Ukrainians, who are victims of the war."
While Poland has offered broad-ranging support to Ukrainian refugees, the majority of them are largely economically self-sufficient, and contribute substantially to the Treasury.
Tusk argued that Europe must recognize Poland’s contributions and provide support rather than impose additional burdens.
"I exclude any scenario where Poland is forced to act simply because the migration pact says so," he said.
The European Commission has not yet determined whether Poland qualifies as a country under migration pressure, which could exempt it from some of the pact’s obligations.
Lammert said the EU will assess the situation "in due course."
Poland’s Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak echoed Tusk’s stance, saying that Poland has consistently maintained this position in EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meetings.
"Our stance is firm, permanent, and well understood across Europe," he said on Tuesday.
Siemoniak also denied opposition claims that an informal meeting of EU interior ministers in Warsaw last week had led to a decision to accelerate the migration pact’s implementation.
"There was no discussion about accelerating or not accelerating the pact; that was not the main topic of the meeting," Siemoniak said.
He reiterated that Poland remains opposed to the pact and dismissed suggestions that the government had softened its stance.
Siemoniak also pointed out that the pact was originally negotiated under the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government.
"Every detail of this pact was agreed upon during their time in power," he said.
European Union leaders in October expressed solidarity with Poland over migration challenges, saying that Russia and its ally Belarus cannot be allowed to exploit European values, including the right to asylum.
Tusk told reporters at the time that "more European leaders have come to realise that current approaches, including the migration package, are not the right response to the threat posed by mass illegal migration."
Tusk said in April last year that Poland would not agree to the EU's relocation mechanism for migrants, despite its approval by the European Parliament.
Poland and the EU have accused Belarus and Russia of deliberately sending migrants from the Middle East and Africa to the Polish border.
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Source: IAR, PAP