Poland Just Scored A Major Win In Brussels: No Migrant Quotas For Now

It’s not often that Warsaw and Brussels spot oculus to oculus connected migration. But this week, nan European Commission threw Poland a uncommon lifeline: it’s connected nan database of EU countries that could skip taking successful relocated migrants nether nan bloc’s caller migration pact.

In plain terms, Poland won’t person to judge migrant quotas aliases salary €20,000 per personification for refusing them. The Commission says nan state is already dealing pinch a “significant migratory situation”, pointing to its 1 cardinal Ukrainian refugees and nan tense standoff on its separator pinch Belarus.

A U-turn from Brussels

For years, Poland railed against nan EU’s migration policies, arguing that it had done much than its adjacent share. This week’s announcement marks a crisp turn: alternatively of punishing Warsaw, Brussels now recognises it arsenic a state “under migratory pressure”.

The caller classification, portion of nan EU’s migration guidance cycle, still needs nan Council’s support But nan reside has changed. Greece, Spain, Italy and Cyprus were besides labelled arsenic being nether dense pressure, while Poland joined 11 different states “at risk” owed to migration crises aliases governmental weaponisation by overseas powers.

Tusk claims victory

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who campaigned connected restoring Poland’s power successful Europe, wasted nary clip declaring victory. “Poland will not judge migrants nether nan migration pact. Nor salary for them,” he wrote connected X. “That’s already a decision.”

Deputy interior curate Maciej Duszczyk echoed nan message, calling it a “huge success” for Poland’s diplomacy. The EU, he said, has “taken into relationship nan warfare successful Ukraine and nan business astatine nan Belarus border”.

Not everyone’s cheering

But not each successful Poland are convinced. Opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński dismissed nan move arsenic “nothing new”, claiming Warsaw was still “at nan mercy of Brussels”, which will reassess migration unit each year.

Still, nan exemption represents a notable triumph for a state often astatine likelihood pinch EU migration policy. Whether it’s a one-off reprieve aliases a lasting displacement remains to beryllium seen.

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