Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says Poland will temporarily halt asylum applications from migrants crossing the Belarus border, under a new law criticized by rights groups and the UN.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that his government will temporarily suspend the right of migrants arriving via the Belarus border to apply for asylum.

The move follows President Andrzej Duda’s signing of a controversial bill that allows Polish authorities to suspend asylum rights for up to 60 days at a time. Tusk said the law would be implemented without delay, while Duda defended it as essential for strengthening border security.

The measure has faced criticism from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Poland’s human rights commissioner, who argue it violates European and international law. Despite this, the bill passed parliament last month with broad support from both the ruling coalition and the opposition.

Tusk dismissed the concerns, saying the law is aimed at deterring migrants who illegally cross the border in organized groups backed by Belarusian authorities, rather than those seeking asylum through legal channels.

Exemptions will apply to unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, the elderly or ill, and individuals facing serious harm if returned.

Poland received a record number of asylum applications last year amid a prolonged crisis at the Belarus border, where, since 2021, tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers—primarily from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa—have attempted to cross with the support of Belarusian authorities.

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