Poland has issued a temporary ban on migrants claiming asylum in the country, marking a major challenge to the authority of the European Union.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was in response to a “hybrid war” by Russia and Belarus, which he claimed was trying to destabilise the EU, by flooding migrants in from the latter country.
Mr Tusk said that Warsaw “must regain 100 per cent control over who comes to Poland”.
The leader of the Civic Platform party said a suspension of the right to claim asylum was required due to Russia allied with Belarus funneling migrants to the Polish border.
Mr Tusk was the European Council president during the Brexit negotiations with the UK.
He also admitted the temporary ban was part of wider efforts to toughen Poland’s migration policies anyway.
He said: “If someone wants to come to Poland, they must respect Polish standards, Polish customs, they must want to integrate.”
Mr Tusk said Germany, which famously let in more than one million refugees in 2015 and 2016, making it now have the fifth highest number of migrants in the world, has since had “negative experiences” with immigration due to ignoring integration issues.
He said: “If there are too many people of other cultures, then the native culture feels threatened.”
Mr Tusk is “demanding” that the EU recognises the Polish decision, paving the way for potential rows with Brussels, which would not want to see other countries follow suit.
He added: “I will demand this, I will demand recognition in Europe for this decision.
“This is because we know very well how it is used by (Belarusian president Alexander) Lukashenko, Putin and by people smugglers, people traffickers, how this right to asylum is used exactly against the essence of the right to asylum.”
Mr Tusk defeated the hard-Right Law and Justice party last year and promised to reconcile with the EU to obtain EU funding, but this lurch to the right could set him at loggerheads with them again.
It is likely to be a central debate when EU leaders will meet this week for a summit which will look at migration issues with some countries requesting powers to make deportations of illegal migrants easier.