Poland's Prime Minister to hold controversial referendum on migration

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Aug 2023 22:54

Poles will vote on whether or not they are willing to accept "thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa."

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Jakub Morawiecki. (AP)

Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, announced on Sunday that he will be going ahead with the referendum on EU migration reforms.

The referendum, which is due to be held on October 15, will coincide with a parliamentary election with migration and security as the central topic.

Poles will vote on whether or not they are willing to accept "thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa," the Prime Minister said via a video published online.

This comes as part of a series of efforts to bolster the Law and Justice party (PiS) after Błaszczak announced last Thursday that he was placing 10,000 troops "nearer to the border with Belarus to frighten the aggressor so that they do not dare to attack us."

It also comes after the Polish army alleged that Belarusian military helicopters had violated Polish airspace a week ago.

Authorities have further alleged that Wagner contractors had set up camps in Belarus in preparations for conflict.

"Do you support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the forced relocation mechanism imposed by European bureaucracy?" such will be the question asked to voters in the referendum.

The video was accompanied by scenes of street violence with migrants burning cars and buildings, while one scene included a black man licking a large knife.

"Do you want this to happen in Poland as well? Do you want to stop being masters of your own country?" a voice in the video asks.

PiS has repeatedly blamed Belarus for the illegal entry of African and Arab migrants via the two countries' 400km-long border.

This year alone, about 19,000 attempted crossings have been made. In 2022, that number was 16,000.

As of now, about 2,000 Polish soldiers and 5,000 border guards are currently stationed at the borders.

Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, Poland has hosted more than 1 million Ukrainians in its territory, but for years, it has voiced objections to hosting Muslims and people from other cultures.

The reason, they say, is that migrants threaten the country’s cultural identity and security.

Other questions which will be included in the referendum include whether they support an increase in the retirement age and the privatization of state-owned enterprises.