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Polish president rails against EU refugee quota 'dictates'

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 09.09.2015 09:21
President of Poland Andrzej Duda has strongly criticised pressure from the EU on member states to take set quotas of refugees from the Middle East and Northern Africa.
President Andrzej Duda at the 25th Economic Forum in Krynica. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz MomotPresident Andrzej Duda at the 25th Economic Forum in Krynica. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot

His comments came as the EC prepared to announce its revised quota proposals on Wednesday.

I will not agree with dictates by the strong [members] of the EU,” Duda said at the ongoing 25th Economic Forum in Krynica, southern Poland.

According to the Polish president, stronger states are using economic and demographic advantages to impose solutions, without taking into account the specifics of other countries.”

He argued that the division of refugees “should be realised in proportion to the capabilities of a state to provide help.

Duda's comments are in this case similar to those of Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, who on Saturday expressed reluctance to take more than the 2,000 refugees agreed in July.

The government has pledged to accept 2,000 Syrians and Eritreans over a two-year period. These take in 900 people from camps in Lebanon, and 1,100 from camps in Italy and Greece.

This figure is 1,500 less than the EU initially wanted Poland to take, with the civil war in Syria showing no sign of abating.

It is expected that on Wednesday the EC may propose to raise this quota by several thousand, as refugees continue to pour into Europe.

Ukraine

Meanwhile, Duda argued that the war in Ukraine and Russian “aggression” have become “dangerously marginalized” in recent times.

Duda claimed during a visit to Berlin in late August that Poland must prepare for more refugees from Ukraine, as “if the conflict escalates again, many more refugees will come to us.(nh)

Source: IAR/PAP



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