Poland’s battle with the EU over migrant quotas

Another day, another spat between Warsaw and Brussels. This time, Poland has declined to participate in the European Union’s latest plan to relocate migrants and asylum seekers within the bloc, with countries who refuse being expected to pay €20,000 per refugee. Hungary has also voted against the pact, while Malta, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria have quietly abstained. 

On 15 June, the Polish parliament (the Sejm) went further and passed a resolution opposing the plan, with the ruling conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) announcing a national referendum on the matter. The referendum will take place on the same day as the general election in either October or November this year. 

‘The Sejm of the Republic of Poland,’ the resolution reads, ‘expresses its strong opposition to the attempt to introduce mechanisms for the forced relocation of illegal economic migrants at the European Union level… We do not agree that the Polish state should bear the social and financial costs of the bad decisions of another European Union member state. The “open door” policy, which was pushed through by Germany, violating the treaties, turned out to be a big mistake.’

The resolution also points out that Poland has allowed close to seven million Ukrainian refugees into the country, 1.5 million of whom have stayed, since Russia’s invasion. Why, they ask, should they take in more? 

Meanwhile in Brussels, EU officials have accused PiS of misrepresenting the migration pact, saying no country will be forced to receive relocated migrants and that Poland would not have to pay ‘solidarity payments’ to countries that house them because it has taken in so many Ukrainian refugees. Commissioner Ylva Johansson said: ‘Poland’s criticism of the EU’s planned migration pact is incomprehensible and untrue.’