NewsRescue
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki mocked the planned EU migration reform by uploading a video that juxtaposed pictures of violent riots in France with the idyllic environment of Polish cities. The premier proposed his own proposal to reduce mass migration.
Morawiecki posted a video on Twitter on Friday in support of a Polish-backed concept called “Europe of Secure Borders.” The video showed protesters breaking store windows while French streets and automobiles were engulfed in fire. The images of total devastation were juxtaposed with serene and tidy Polish cities humming with life.
“We do not want such scenes on Polish streets,” the video’s description said.
The killing of a 17-year-old boy at the hands of a police officer sparked outrage in France on Tuesday. According to local officials, approximately 1,000 people have been arrested throughout the country, and 45,000 police personnel have been dispatched to deal with the chaos.
Morawiecki’s remark comes on the heels of his severe condemnation of a migration overhaul proposal that would give EU countries three alternatives for dealing with the problem: accept relocated asylum seekers, pay €20,000 ($21,000) for each rejected applicant, or finance operational support.
By supporting this migration reform, “Europe encourages smugglers to send more transports,” said Poland’s prime minister. “If we invite 30,000 people, 300,000 will show up.” If we invite a million people, 30 million will show up. “It’s a never-ending spiral,” he added, adding that opening Europe’s borders would not only empower criminals but would also result in “a higher risk of terrorism in Europe.”
However, citing Poland as “an example of a successful migration policy,” Morawiecki suggested his own plan, which includes increasing spending in securing the EU’s external borders and strengthening Frontex, the bloc’s border agency.
He also proposed assisting development in countries where significant migration occurs, lowering social benefits for migrants from outside the EU, and cracking down on smugglers and the black market.
For at least some years, the EU has struggled to deal with the influx of migrants. According to Frontex data, the EU’s officials recorded 330,000 illegal border crossings at the EU’s external border in 2022, the highest number since 2016 and a 64% rise over the previous year.