Poland Suspends The Right to Seek Asylum

Kids walking with a Police officer by David Peinado via Pexels, 2021

Poland has temporarily suspended the right to seek asylum for people crossing its eastern border, raising alarm among human rights groups and the EU.

On March 26, 2025 the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, signed a controversial new law that allows the government to suspend the right to seek asylum for migrants entering the country irregularly. The measure came into force immediately and applies mostly to the border with Belarus, where migrants have been arriving since 2021. 

The law introduces 60-day emergency periods during which only individuals who enter Poland legally, through official checkpoints, can request asylum. It can be renewed with parliamentary approval. Poland’s Interior Ministry will be empowered to temporarily restrict the right to claim international protection if it deems “instrumentalisation of migration” is occurring. 

The new bill allows exemptions for certain categories of people, including children, pregnant women, individuals with special healthcare needs, and people deemed at the real risk of harm if returned over the border. 

Government officials say that the law is a response to ongoing hybrid attacks by Belarus, which they accuse of pushing migrants across the EU’s external border as a ploy necessary to strengthen the security of our borders and the safety of Poles”.

Donal Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, last week said that Poland would stop complying with European Union rules requiring it to take back asylum seekers from Germany and would not comply with the parts of the EU’s migration pact that require the relocation of asylum seekers. 

However, human rights organisations have criticised the move. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) warned Poland back in February that the proposed law would not be compatible with either international or European asylum law. Human Rights Watch said that the EU should take legal action against Poland if the bill is implemented. 

Poland has faced growing criticism for its treatment of asylum seekers and migrants at the Belarus border recently. Reports of illegal pushbacks, violence, and deaths in the fostered border zone have led to several cases being brought to the European Court of Human Rights. 

Despite the concerns, the Polish government has moved ahead with the plan, citing national security and sovereignty. The EU has not issued a formal response yet.

Sources and Further Readings:

Jo Harper (27.03.25). Polish president signs law restricting right to claim asylum. – Anadolu Ajansi.https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/polish-president-signs-law-restricting-right-to-claim-asylum/3521102?utm_source=chatgpt.com# Accessed March 27th, 2025. 

Tamsin Paternoster (27.03.25). Poland suspends the right of migrants to apply for asylum. – Euronews.https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/27/poland-suspends-right-of-migrants-to-apply-for-asylum Accessed March 27th, 2025. 

Adam Easton (27.03.25). Poland suspends migrants’ right to apply for asylum – BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8719dl587zo Accessed March 27th, 2025.