Warsaw, Feb 5 (IANS) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland will not implement the European Union’s (EU) Migration Pact or accept any provisions that would force the country to take in relocated migrants from other EU countries.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Tusk emphasised that his decision is final and called for the issue not to be politicised.
Tusk ruled out any scenario in which Poland would be required to pay for refusing migrant relocation, rejecting the idea that the Migration Pact imposes such obligations, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Some people imagine the pact working that way, but I rule out any scenario where Poland is forced to act simply because the Migration Pact says so,” he stated.
While the European Parliament recently approved reforms to the EU’s migration policy, Tusk reiterated that Poland will not participate in migrant relocation, stressing that all migration-related decisions for his country will be made in Warsaw not Brussels.
Tusk clarified that Poland does not oppose the implementation of the Migration Pact in other EU countries such as Italy and Spain. However, he maintained that Poland requires EU support to address its own migration challenges rather than being forced into compliance.
Tusk’s comments also come amid intensifying EU debate on migration policies, with some member states advocating for greater collective responsibility, while others, including Poland, remain firmly opposed to mandatory relocation measures.
Earlier the European Commission has said that Poland will not be free of the obligations of the European Union Migration Pact.
Tusk interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak, speaking to reporters on February 1, denied that, stating: “No decisions can be made at an informal summit within the EU.”
Despite that, earlier in January the European Commission had confirmed in writing that the Migration Pact was moving forward and Poland could not be exempt from it.
–IANS
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