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EU summit calls to stop Russia from 'abusing' asylum rights
After the summit, EU leaders agreed to tighten controls on refugees and prevent other countries, including Russia and Belarus, from abusing the mechanism and “undermining democracy.” The EU promised to take action.
At a summit in Brussels, EU leaders agreed to strengthen controls over asylum seekers and prevent abuse of the mechanism by "Russia, Belarus and other countries," according to a press release after the event.
"We cannot allow Russia, Belarus or any other country to abuse our values, including the right to asylum, and undermine our democracy. The European Council expresses its solidarity with Poland and its Member States in the face of these challenges. In exceptional cases, appropriate measures should be taken," the document says.
In particular, EU leaders called on the European Commission to prepare changes to legislation allowing the deportation of people seeking asylum in the bloc's countries, but this was rejected and they remained in the EU.
It was also decided, following the Brussels summit, to study “new ways of preventing and combating illegal migration.”
EU leaders also called for closer cooperation between countries of origin and transit of refugees, noting the importance of harmonising visa policies between neighbouring countries to reduce irregular migration.
According to the UN, as of October 15, the number of registered Ukrainian refugees in Europe exceeded 6.1 million. The largest number of them are in Germany (more than 1.2 million) and Poland (about 1 million).
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in mid-October that Poles were outraged by young Ukrainian refugees driving expensive cars and spending weekends in five-star hotels. According to the minister, this is unfair to Poland, which works for benefits and education for Ukrainians, "not to mention arms supplies and other support."
According to a summer study by the University of Warsaw and the Academy of Economics and Humanities, Polish residents have become more negative about Ukrainian refugees, as they "get everything for free" and "are not grateful for their help." About 19% of respondents spoke in favor of canceling aid to Ukraine.
The situation with Ukrainian refugees in Europe is starting to worsen. In particular, Poland, as of July 1, cancelled the one-time allowance of 300 zlotys (about $75) for refugees and the payment of 40 zlotys (about $10) per person per day to homeowners who shelter Ukrainians.
Amid an influx of illegal immigrants, Germany imposed border controls at all internal borders for six months from mid-September. The decision was one of several drastic measures taken by Berlin to stem the influx of illegal immigrants. The move drew criticism from other EU countries, especially neighboring Poland, which vowed to respond to the decision.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stressed that decisions on control over the Schengen zone should not be made by one country. "Introducing controls is a mistake, since the real place of control over the flow of illegal immigrants to Poland and Germany is the external borders of the Schengen zone," the minister said.