The current violence between Hamas and Israel works in Russia’s favor as it distracts international attention from Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine and may result in new migration pressures on Europe, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said on Sunday.
Poland, a staunch supporter of Kyiv since Russia launched its military offensive in early 2022, has sheltered more than a million Ukrainian refugees.
But it has rejected any EU mechanisms requiring it to take in a share of the irregular migrants entering the bloc from other directions.
“It certainly benefits Russia and Russian aggression against Ukraine. It distracts the world’s attention … But above all, I am afraid that it will, unfortunately, cause further migration pressure on Europe,” Duda said in an interview with private broadcaster Polsat News.
“We will likely have another wave of migrants from the Middle East, which will hit Europe … Our security, protection of Poland’s borders, of course, also the borders of the European Union and the Schengen zone, becomes even more important.”
Since mid-2021, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have seen an increase in the number of mainly Middle Eastern and African migrants trying to enter illegally from Belarus, which they accuse of facilitating such crossings, a claim Minsk rejects.
Migration and interior ministers from five EU countries most affected by migration across the Mediterranean — Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Spain — have taken a hard line on returning migrants who crossed the bloc illegally to their countries of origin.
They argued that more extreme voices will take over if Europe does not tackle the problem decisively.
The ministers from the Med 5 group hailed the new EU pact on migration but said more resources were needed.
They met in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Friday and Saturday.
Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Dimitris Kairidis, who hosted the sixth meeting of the Med 5, and European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas congratulated the Spanish presidency of the EU for “doing what is humanly possible” to arrive at a compromise agreement.
The Med 5 agreed on taking a hard line on migrant crossings but also emphasized cooperation with the countries of migration origin.
“It is important to encourage repatriation,” said Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
In a press conference, Schinas took issue with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who said Hungary was “legally raped” on Friday by its fellow EU members.
“Before he talks about rape, he should study the European Treaty,” he said, adding that decisions on migration are taken on an enhanced majority basis. Hungary and Poland were the two dissenters at an EU summit in Granada, arguing for a tougher approach.
“Personally, I would have preferred unanimity,” added Schinas. “But you cannot reach an understanding with someone who doesn’t want to.”
Kairidis added that Orbán is a warning of what could happen if EU does not develop viable solutions.
“We are caught between the hateful shouters on the right and the naive people on the left who believe that any effort to guard borders violates human rights,” he said.
AP
