Members of the Polish parliament should reject a bill that would allow the government to temporarily suspend the right to asylum at Poland's border with Belarus, Human Rights Watch said today. The European Commission should act to uphold European Union treaties and member states' obligations, including to provide access to the asylum procedure.
"Poland, which currently holds the EU presidency, should lead by example and ensure that people fleeing war and persecution are given the opportunity to have their asylum claims individually assessed," said Lydia Gall, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "This bill flies in the face of Poland's international and EU obligations and should be voted down."
The bill risks formalizing ongoing unlawful and abusive pushbacks at Poland's border with Belarus. It would expose people to abuses and inhumane conditions in Belarus, in violation of the principle of nonrefoulement, which prohibits returns to a country where people may face torture or inhumane or degrading treatment.
If passed, it would allow the Polish government to suspend the right to seek asylum for a period of up to 60 days along specific sections of its border. Extensions beyond this period could be authorized with parliamentary approval and renewed indefinitely. Exceptions would be made for vulnerable people, including unaccompanied children, pregnant women, those who require special treatment due to their age or health, Belarusian citizens, and anyone who can "unequivocally prove they are at risk of suffering serious harm" if returned to Belarus.
