The new guidelines put forward by Brussels reflect the right-wing shift that is rapidly reshaping the bloc's migration and asylum policy.
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00:00Brussels has given Poland the green light to suspend the right to asylum for migrants
00:06entering the country across the border with Belarus, and points to the weaponization of
00:11migrants by Russia as a risk to the EU.
00:15European Commission Vice President Genevieve Koonin believes that on the bloc's eastern
00:20border the security threat has already moved to the next level, but says cases must be
00:26clearly defined.
00:29They may limit also the exercise of the rights to asylum, but it has to happen in very strict
00:37conditions and in legal limits.
00:40So it means that they have to be truly exceptional, temporary, proportionate, and for clearly
00:46defined cases.
00:49The European Commission believes that Belarus and Russia promote the use of violence via
00:54migrants.
00:56However, human rights organizations reiterated the pushbacks are illegal.
01:03Lydia Gall of Human Rights Watch said the pushbacks fly in the face of Poland's duties
01:08under national and EU law.
01:13In 2024, the arrival of migrants across the EU border with Belarus increased by 66% compared
01:20to the previous year.
01:21The vast majority of them were on Russian visas.