Panic in Europe as 'asylum suspension' law on major border sparks huge migrant row

A major country has voted to extend the suspension of asylum rights at one of its borders. The measure, which was first adopted in March but has been renewed this week, has been heavily criticised by human rights groups.

The law allows authorities in to suspend the asylum rights of migrants arriving from Belarus for 60 days at a time. As reported by , a total of 366 politicians backed the move with 17 voting against it on Wednesday morning. Donald Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister, said the bill is needed to stem the tide of migrants entering through the country's eastern border with Belarus.

Tusk, who has previously accused Russia and Belarus of deliberately encouraging people to cross the border, said the situation poses a "serious and real threat" to Poland. He claims that both Russia and Belarus are hoping to destabilise Europe by encouraging migrants across borders.

According to , tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers have tried to cross from Belarus to Poland since 2021. They are mainly from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

However, the law allows exemptions for people deemed at "risk of harm" if returned over the border. This includes children, pregnant women and disabled people.

Magnus Brunner, the European Union's commissioner for internal affairs and migration, visited the Polish-Belarusian border last month.

He concluded that Poland's decision to suspend asylum claims is "correct under EU law". He also accused Belarus of "weaponising" migration, praising Poland as "Europe's first line of defence".

However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) previously warned that the regulation was not aligned with asylum law. Human Rights Watch also urged the EU to take legal action against Poland if the bill was enforced.

The UNHCR said the law will cause harm to vulnerable asylum seekers who are pushed back over the border. The group, which said the bill "flies in the face of Poland's international and EU obligations", encouraged the Polish parliament to vote against it.

Meanwhile, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights accused the Polish government of making "an extreme degree of generalisation about the aggressive behaviour of migrants, while simultaneously concealing the humanitarian aspect of the crisis on the border, including cases of deaths and reports of violence by both Polish and Belarusian services experienced by migrants".

However, the European Commision recently said the security threat facing Poland should be considered. It stressed the law show be assessed in the wider "context" of the situation.