Poland has formally requested a full exemption from the European Commission’s plan to redistribute asylum seekers among EU member states. The announcement came from Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński on November 12, who highlighted Poland’s ongoing border challenges and the high costs of guarding the EU frontier.
The EU’s scheme requires countries to either host a set number of asylum seekers, pay a financial contribution, or provide other forms of support such as personnel. Poland, alongside Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia, argued that it faces exceptional migration pressure and thus qualifies for exemption.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that Poland will neither accept migrants nor make the solidarity payment, while still praising the EU’s plan as a success. Government officials emphasized that Poland has long sought recognition for the strain caused by both Belarusian border pressures and the influx of Ukrainian refugees.
Polish spokesman Adam Szłapka noted that EU partners understand the country’s migration challenges and agreed that Warsaw should not bear additional burdens. Between June 2024 and July 2025, the EU recorded a 35% drop in irregular border crossings, yet certain nations continue to face serious migration pressures, particularly linked to Russian and Belarusian activities.
This policy marks a shift in Poland’s stance. In 2021, Tusk had expressed sympathy for migrants on the Belarusian border, describing them as “poor people trying to find their place.” Today, both the government coalition and opposition parties largely oppose accepting asylum seekers according to EU quotas, making migration a politically sensitive issue.
Poland’s exemption request reflects its broader strategy to balance EU cooperation with national concerns over security, costs, and social integration, as migration remains a highly debated topic in Warsaw and across the bloc.