### Polish PM Announces Temporary Suspension of Right to Asylum Amid Migration Concerns

In a bold move, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has revealed plans to temporarily halt the right to asylum as part of a new strategy aimed at addressing the surge of irregular migration into Poland. Speaking at a Warsaw meeting of his centre-right Civic Coalition political group, Tusk asserted that the right to asylum was being exploited by people smugglers, allegedly with assistance from Belarus and Russia.

Poland has faced an influx of migrants from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, entering the country illegally via Belarus, beginning in 2021. Warsaw has accused Belarus and Russia of engaging in "hybrid warfare" by directing migrants towards the European Union to destabilize the region, an allegation both nations deny. The significant rise in migration peaked in August 2021, with an eightfold increase in border crossing attempts compared to the entire previous year. The crisis continues, with dozens of attempts to cross the border occurring daily.

Tusk announced plans to present the new migration policy at an upcoming government meeting on 15 October. "One of the elements of the migration strategy will be the temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum," he confirmed, indicating he would seek European recognition for this decision. The prime minister emphasized that Poland must regain full control over its borders, citing the misuse of asylum rights by foreign actors.

Germany has felt the ripple effects of Poland’s migration challenges, leading Berlin to implement border checks with Poland. Despite its pro-EU stance, Tusk's coalition has maintained a hard-line migration approach, inherited from the previous Law and Justice government. This includes the continuation of border pushbacks and reinstating exclusion zones along parts of the border. In a move highlighting the iron-fisted policy, the coalition government authorized the decriminalization of firearm use by security forces in self-defense, following the tragic death of a 21-year-old soldier at the border.

Public opinion appears to back these stringent policies, with an overwhelming 86% of respondents supporting the use of weapons by security services in self-defense. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski underscored the importance of this tough stance on migration for the Civic Coalition's electoral victory in October last year. He suggested that their success hinged on outflanking the previous ruling party on this issue.

However, not everyone is in favor of the new government's approach. Human rights organizations have raised alarms over the humanitarian implications. NGOs report over 130 migrant deaths on both sides of Belarus' borders with Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia since the crisis began. Malgorzata Szuleka of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights criticized Tusk's stance, calling for a rational discussion beyond populist rhetoric to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis effectively.

As Poland awaits further details on Tusk’s proposed policy, the EU has deferred the introduction of new biometric border checks, initially planned for introduction on 10 November, adding another layer of complexity to the region's migration management.