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Warsaw opposes relocation of illegal immigrants to Poland: interior minister

08.06.2020 14:18
The conservative government in Warsaw is strongly opposed to any relocation of illegal immigrants to Poland, its interior minister said on Monday, responding to European Commission plans for a new pact on migration and asylum.
Mariusz Kamiński
Mariusz KamińskiPhoto: PAP/Wojciech Olkuśnik

The interior ministers of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia have sent a joint letter sent to the European Commission protesting at any form of compulsory relocation, public broadcaster Polish Radio reported.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson plans to propose an overhaul of the bloc's asylum system, which unravelled in 2015-16 as southern front-line countries accused others in the bloc of failing to help them cope with sudden mass arrivals of refugees and migrants, the Reuters news agency reported in May.

Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński said on Monday that the government in Warsaw would not agree to “cultural experiments”.

He added that Poland was motivated not by "xenophobic" reasons, but "by common sense".

"The Polish government does not agree and will not agree to any social or cultural experiments imposed on us," Kamiński insisted.

He added: "We can see how such experiments end by looking at the example of many Western European countries…This leads to tragic consequences, to social conflicts, to conflicts with a racist background, on religious grounds."

(pk)

Source: PAP/Polish Radio