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Polish FM: EU legal action over refugees ‘nothing to worry about’

PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea 13.06.2017 12:15
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has said there is “nothing to worry about” after the EU confirmed it is starting a legal process against Poland over its refusal to accept refugees.
Były minister spraw zagranicznych Minister Witold Waszczykowski.   Foto: Flickr.com/PolandMFAByły minister spraw zagranicznych Minister Witold Waszczykowski. Foto: Flickr.com/PolandMFA

Poland has not accepted any refugees as part of an EU programme to relocate asylum seekers residing in camps in Italy and Greece.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice party has voiced opposition to the EU redistribution plans.

“Most of them are not refugees, only immigrants who have illegally come into Europe,” Waszczykowski told Polish Radio on Tuesday. He added that people from Africa and the Middle East do not want to be transferred to Poland.

“We would have [to relocate them] by force,” Waszczykowski said. “Then in Poland, we would have to keep them in camps as well.”

European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said on Monday that the Commission will launch a legal procedure on Wednesday against countries which have not participated in the refugee resettlement programme.

Winterstein added that EU Commissioners would start discussing the issue on Tuesday.

The Reuters news agency quoted sources as saying that the procedure would be initiated against Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. (rg/pk)

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