Donald Tusk has thrown European migration policy into turmoil with a surprise decision to suspend the right to asylum in Poland, days ahead of an EU leaders’ summit where the issue is set to dominate.
The Polish prime minister was the latest EU leader to announce unilateral curbs on migration, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier this month introduced checks at all German border controls in a move France has since said it wants to replicate. Warsaw’s decision risks further damaging a fragile consensus on migration and asylum policy among the bloc’s 27 member states which is already being challenged by resurgent far-right parties across the continent.
On Monday evening, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote to EU leaders laying out what she said were “European solutions for a European challenge” of tackling increased irregular migration.