Poland to suspend right to asylum

Poland will ban migrants from claiming asylum in a bombshell move that could tear the European Union (EU) apart.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is the latest European leader to announce strict border policies in response to migration.

On Saturday, he announced the temporary ban, insisting Warsaw “must regain 100 percent control over who comes to Poland”. The former European Council president has performed a dramatic U-turn since becoming the Polish leader, with an increasing hardline stance on migration.

Tusk defended the controversial move, saying it is needed to counter hybrid warfare from Belarus and Russia. Poland has accused Belarus, backed by Russia, of funneling migrants to the Polish border as part of an attempt to destabilise the bloc.

However, he also said that the move was part of a wider European movement to toughen up borders. Germany, France and Denmark are among the countries to have imposed stricter border controls in recent weeks.