Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday that Poland is open to legal migrants, but they must be willing to integrate into society without compromising national security.
Speaking at a convention of his governing Civic Coalition (KO) group, Tusk said: "If someone wants to come to Poland permanently, work longer, and study longer, they must be prepared to respect Polish standards and our way of life, and they must want to integrate."
While outlining the government’s new long-term migration strategy, entitled "Regaining Control, Ensuring Security," he asserted: "We will not adopt or implement any European or EU policies if we believe they could compromise our security."
'Temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum'
Tusk also said at the gathering that Poland was planning to temporarily suspend the right to asylum as part of efforts to curb illegal migration amid tensions with Belarus and Russia.
"One of the elements of the migration strategy will be the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum," he said.
"I will demand this and seek recognition in Europe for this decision," he added.
Tusk argued that the right to asylum was being exploited by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin and by people smugglers "in a manner that goes against the essence" of the asylum system, news agencies reported.
This announcement by Tusk triggered a wave of criticism from human rights groups.
Speaking earlier last week, Tusk said that the new strategy would focus on combating illegal immigration and propose a modern migration policy for the European Union in the years ahead.
Tusk said in April that Poland would not agree to the EU's relocation mechanism for migrants, despite its approval by the European Parliament.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, TVN24, Reuters