Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland will not implement the Migration Pact or other EU regulations that involve the forced relocation of migrants. Poland is currently making significant efforts to secure its eastern border with Belarus, where Polish soldiers, police, and border guards are risking their lives. He also denied that the Migration Pact and its future were discussed in detail at the recent informal EU summit in Warsaw.

The purpose of the Migration Pact is to establish a centralized, EU-wide management system for migration in individual member states. The regulations include a mechanism of "mandatory solidarity," which mandates the allocation of at least 30,000 illegal migrants across all European countries. Countries that refuse to accept migrants will have to pay approximately 20,000 euros for each migrant they do not receive. Additionally, the regulations allow for exemptions for countries facing significant migration pressures, but these exemptions would require a decision from the European Commission each time. This primarily applies to southern European countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece, which experience the highest numbers of illegal immigrants. Both the current and previous Polish governments have argued that Poland should also be exempt due to its acceptance of nearly 1 million refugees from Ukraine in 2022.

European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert commented on the Polish Prime Minister's statement, emphasizing that no member state can disregard the provisions of the Pact, as EU law is binding for all members. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner also stated that Poland would not be exempt from the Migration Pact. According to him, EU law does not contain any legal provisions that would exempt Poland from implementing aspects of the Pact, which includes the principle of "mandatory solidarity." Each member state is free to choose from various forms of solidarity, including relocation, financial support, and alternative measures.

It remains unclear how Poland intends to disregard the regulations of the Migration Pact while still complying with EU laws. Some experts argue that Poland is no longer under migration pressure due to the large numbers of Ukrainians it welcomed in 2022. However, the numbers for 2024 will be considered when calculating migrants under the provisions of the Pact. It is also possible that Prime Minister Tusk's strong statements are primarily influenced by the Polish electoral calendar, specifically the presidential elections scheduled for May 2025. During this election period, he cannot advocate for accepting the Pact, as this stance is very unpopular in Poland. However, after the elections, Poland will likely take the provisions of the Pact and implement them diligently, especially since Germany, which seeks to reduce its migrant population, will advocate for the Pact's introduction.

Source, Łukasz Wojdyga