The Polish NGO Grupa Granica accuses the Polish border guards of not accepting asylum applications from migrants. “They don’t let them apply, even if they speak English and show their papers,” says campaigner Anna Alboth.
The Polish NGO Grupa Granica accuses the Polish border guards of not accepting asylum applications from migrants. “They don’t let them apply, even if they speak English and show their papers,” says campaigner Anna Alboth.
While you’re right that no one deserves to die in a forest in the middle of nowhere, the problem is that whatever the Polish would attempt to do to be more humane, Belarus can just funnel more people into the system to overburden it.
There is no disputing the fault of Polish politicians who have refused cooperation with the broader EU for brownie points with their own far-right, but if the only thing that changed was that the Polish would go softer on immigrants, it would maybe cause some relief in the short term, but would deepen the problem substantially afterwards, when even more people show up.
I’d also argue that Poland has the right to demand people ask for visas at consulates abroad or by mail instead of showing up at the border or even illegally crossing it trying to force a fait accompli.
Sure! And it’s not only the Poles that are slowing down EU legislation, but the big countries away from the EU borders. It is a though sell domestically and takes time to implement. Eventually the refugee crisis will become a huge problem and a change, whether a more humane or cynical one, will be necessary.