Poland must tighten control over migration to protect national security as 2.5mn foreign nationals seek long-term residence in the country, the government said on October 15, unveiling a blueprint for a five-year migration strategy.

First outlined by Prime Minister Donald Tusk on October 12, the proposal has stirred debate at home and abroad, particularly over plans to restrict the right to asylum. The blueprint must now be developed into detailed legislation before going to parliament.

“Regain control. Ensure security - the migration strategy has been adopted. A difficult decision, but very necessary and expected,” Tusk wrote on his social media.

The adoption of the strategy’s blueprint created immediate division in the Tusk-led government, as four ministers from the Left – one of the four parties making up the cabinet – said they did not endorse it.

The Left’s is concerned with a provision in the proposed strategy that in situations where the influx of migrants poses a risk of destabilisation, it allows for the temporary suspension of asylum applications.

“Suspending the right to asylum is unacceptable to us,” the Left’s deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski told Polsat News.

According to Tusk and the coalition government’s ministers who have since backed the plan, Poland has long lacked a comprehensive migration strategy.

Central to the proposed policy is the goal of preventing irregular immigration, particularly from groups orchestrated by Russia and Belarus. Poland’s border with the latter has been the scene of a migration crisis since 2021, with migrant groups being pushed over the border to Poland by Belarusian servicemen, a tactics Warsaw invariably calls “hybrid war”.

Earlier this week, the PM said that Belarus and Russia “exploit the right asylum contrary to its true purpose” in a way that has “nothing to do with human rights".

Poland militarised the most vulnerable section of the border with Belarus and has faced criticism for pushing back migrants apprehended in the forested and swampy region.

According to the government, irregular migration is a destabilisation factor, adding to the geopolitical risks Poland is facing because of Russia's war in Ukraine. That is why it needs counter-measures such as the controversial suspension of the right to asylum.

After early outrage, the strategy now proposes adjustments to asylum procedures, to prevent their exploitation in hybrid warfare, while maintaining a humanitarian approach to border management. 

Parliamentary oversight will be a part of the process to minimise trade-offs between security and humanitarianism, according to the government. Tusk’s plan – which he first announced at a convention of his Civic Platform party without noticing other parties in the coalition he leads – has a domestic political purpose to it.

Poland’s presidential election is due in May and will see a change in leadership as President Andrzej Duda steps down after completing his second and final term.

The election is crucial for Tusk’s government, as the coalition lacks the votes to override a presidential veto. Duda, an ally of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, has frequently used his veto powers to block legislation. He has also referred laws to the Constitutional Tribunal for review, a court Tusk’s coalition considers illegitimate but cannot stop Duda from using.

A victory by a Tusk-aligned presidential candidate would remove a major obstacle to his government’s agenda, while another PiS president could lead to a decomposition of the ruling camp.

To pre-empt this, Tusk appears to be taking pages on migration from the far-right playbook, hoping to lure at least some of its voters in the inevitable run-off presidential vote between his candidate and PiS’s.

More widely, Tusk also said he would like the Polish plan to become a starting point for an EU-wide migration policy reform. The Polish PM has thus addressed a growing anti-migration stance across the EU, especially in countries bordering Russia: the Baltic States and Finland. A tough stance on migration is also strong with important political parties in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

The EU pushed back against the plan’s provisions to suspend asylum claims, to which Tusk responded he would not give an inch.

“Our right and our duty is to protect the Polish and European border. Its security will not be subject to negotiation. With anyone,” Tusk said on social media.

Another key component of the strategy is a transparent visa policy, with a focus on selective immigration. Arrivals will be regulated in terms of purpose, scale, and country of origin.

The plan also addresses foreign workers' access to the Polish labour market, setting criteria to ensure they fill gaps in sectors with shortages. It also aims to regulate the conditions under which foreigners may conduct business in Poland.

The strategy also outlines rules for foreign nationals entering Poland for higher education or vocational training. The government will seek to prevent the misuse of education as a means to gain easy entry and residency in Poland, while supporting the internationalisation of Polish universities.

The policy also includes provisions for integrating migrants into Polish society, with an emphasis on preserving social cohesion. Immigrants will be expected to accept Polish norms and values as part of their integration process. Additionally, the strategy details the process for foreign nationals to acquire Polish citizenship and addresses the repatriation of people of Polish descent.