Poland bans migrants from claiming asylum as Donald Tusk says nation desires to ‘take again management’ of borders after inflow of individuals getting into from Belarus

Poland has temporarily banned migrants from claiming asylum in a bid to ‘take back control’ of its borders.

Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, announced the right to claim asylum will be suspended for 60 days following an influx at the Belarus border.

Exemptions will be made for unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, elderly or unwell people, and anyone exposed to ‘real risk of serious harm’. 

The two-month ban will come into force ‘without a moment’s delay’, Tusk said last night.

Polish officials have claimed that the Kremlin have pressured its neighbour Belarus to funnel migrants to their joint border in order to destabilise the EU.

Warsaw has erected a five-metre high barbed wire fence on a long stretch of the border following a consistent stream of migrants attempting to cross.

Footage emerged over the weekend of 280 migrants attempting to enter Poland from Belarus.

The group managed to slash a hole in the fence with a cutting torch before filtering through one-by-one.

However, they are quickly apprehended by troops pulling up in armed vehicles, who halt their passage before looking to mend the fence.

Polish President Andrzej Duda was reportedly hesistant to greenlight the suspension as he feared it could affect refugees from Belarus.

However, officials have made sure that those at genuine risk will still have the right to claim asylum.

Duda said yesterday: ‘I decided today that the so-called asylum act will come into force. I signed it because I believe it is necessary to strengthen the security of our borders.

‘The most important thing is to defend the Polish border and the Polish services that guard it.’ 

Tusk has sought to tighten up Poland’s borders since coming into office in late 2023.

He said the controversial legislation will be part of taking back ‘control of Poland’s borders’.

Annoucing the proposals, he said: ‘If someone wants to come to Poland, they must respect Polish standards, Polish customs, they must want to integrate.

‘If there are too many people of other cultures, then the native culture feels threatened.’

Since 2021, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland have seen a huge spike in the number of people illegally crossing their borders from Belarus and Russia.

The countries have accused both Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko of weaponing migration as part of efforts to destabilise the EU.

Over 15,000 people applied for asylum in Poland in 2024, 72 per cent more than a year earlier and the highest annual figure recorded since 2016.

After Ukrainians, the largest number of applicants last year were from Belarus – with 3,663 asylum seekers – and 823 Russians.

This is followed by Ethiopia, with 515, Eritrea with 505 and Somalia with 486. 

The crossing has proved dangerous for many migrants, with almost 100 recorded deaths said to be an underestimate of the true figure. 

Poland’s move has come under significant scruinity, with Human Rights Watch saying it ‘flies in the face of Poland’s international and EU obligations’ and could ‘effectively completely seal off the Poland-Belarus border, where Polish authorities already engage in unlawful and abusive pushbacks’. 

They have also urged the EU to take legal action against Poland once the law is implemented.

But Tusk dismissed this in October, saying: ‘Nobody is talking about violating human rights, the right to asylum, we are talking about not granting applications to people who illegally cross the border in groups organised by Lukashenko.’

In February, the Polish government confirmed they would not take part in the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which the bloc implemented to manage the arrival of asylum seekers.

Under the agreement, states could either relocate a certain number of migrants, pay a financial contribution or provide operation support to help resettlement.

However, Poland and Hungary have opposed the measure, which is meant to be legally binding on all EU member states.

Tusk said: ‘Poland will not implement the Migration Pact in a way that would introduce additional quotas of immigrants in Poland.

‘We are ready to cooperate with everyone to protect Europe from illegal migration. However, Poland will not take on any additional burdens. We have already taken on more than anyone could have imagined just a few years ago.’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted Poland had done more than their fair share in taking in Ukrainian refugees since the 2022 Russian invasion.

Other EU member states are also taking steps to curb the rights of asylum seekers.

Finland has denied entry to any migrants crossing its border with Russia since 2023, while incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised to stop all irregular migration across Germany’s land borders on his first day in office.