Poland urges EU to allow asylum suspensions

Poland halted asylum registration for migrants entering via Belarus in March 2025. The suspension has remained in place for about 18 months on the about 400-kilometre Polish-Belarusian border. Since 2021, EU authorities have accused Alexander Lukashenko of directing migrants toward the EU. On Sept. 16, 2026, Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for a European emergency response framework for engineered and weaponized mass migration; procedures, approval, and timeline remain unspecified. The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum took effect about three months earlier and already allows deadline extensions and longer detention during border emergencies. Maciej Duszczyk said: "We are happy that what we've been saying for a year, or a year and a half, is now becoming mainstream in the EU." Contested: Duszczyk said each person who appears on the border has the right to speak to the Polish border guards and explain their situation. Karolina Czerwinska said sick people or teenagers who are minors typically have their arguments undermined. Tineke Strik said if you make it the default policy of all EU member states, it simply has been legalized. Michael O'Flaherty warned of risks to asylum law. Details are expected at an Oct. 1 EU interior ministers meeting and an October European Council summit.