**Poland Considers Temporary Halt to Right to Asylum Amid Migration Policy Overhaul**

Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, announced plans on Saturday to temporarily suspend the right to asylum as part of a broader strategy to reform the country's migration policies. This proposed measure is in response to what Tusk describes as the exploitation of asylum rights by neighboring Belarus and Russia. According to Tusk, regaining full control over Poland's borders is essential, and the suspension of asylum rights will be a key element of the plan set to be discussed in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Addressing a convention of his Civic Coalition, Tusk emphasized the urgent need to minimize illegal migration into Poland. Since 2021, Poland has been under significant migration pressure, especially along its border with Belarus. Polish leaders have repeatedly accused Belarus and Russia of orchestrating a strategy to send migrants from the Middle East and Africa into Poland to destabilize the region. Tusk identified Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin as key figures in this alleged misuse of asylum rights, stating that their actions, along with those of human smugglers and traffickers, contradict the fundamental concept of asylum.

Additionally, Tusk mentioned that he would seek the European Union's acknowledgment and support for Poland's decision regarding the right to asylum. This announcement follows a statement by Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski on Thursday, who revealed that Poland will be tightening its visa regulations. This move comes in the wake of an investigation into a cash-for-visas scandal that took place under the previous administration. Poland's new measures aim to step up the vetting process for visa applicants as part of its broader effort to manage migration more effectively.