Siemoniak: we must defend this border with full strength of EU and NATO

During a briefing at the Połowce-Pieszczatka border crossing, head of Poland's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration (MSWiA), Tomasz Siemoniak, and Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior and Community, Nancy Faeser, told reporters about the two countries' efforts in combating hybrid warfare.

Siemoniak reminded that Poland has been experiencing hybrid aggression from the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, supported by Russia, for over three years.

"We provided the minister and the German delegation with a wealth of information about the enormous effort our country is making to ensure that this border, the border of the European Union, is tight," the minister said.

"We do this so that internal borders in the European Union do not re-emerge. We very much hope that the controls introduced by the German government and the minister at Germany’s land border with various countries will turn out to be transitional and temporary," he added.

Siemoniak stated that today, "with the full strength of the European Union and NATO, we must defend this border". He assessed that "if this border is safe, then the entire Union will be safe, and no controls will be necessary within the Schengen Area."

Nancy Faeser emphasized that in order to ensure strict protection of the external borders of the European Union, it is necessary to guarantee security at the internal borders of the member states of the community.

"It is important to implement a common European asylum system as quickly as possible, as this will enable us to create the conditions for strict protection of the EU’s external borders and thus eliminate controls at the internal borders," she stressed.

She also announced support for Poland's planned presidency in the EU in the first half of 2025, focusing on its main topics: migration and security.

Faeser pointed out that in addition to reforming the asylum system, the EU needs a new "return" directive. "An effective return system at the European level is essential because those who do not have the right to remain in the European Union must return quickly, so we can protect those who truly need protection from war and terror. If we succeed in all of this, then controls at the internal borders will also be lifted," Faeser said.

"We know that our neighbors are observing that on September 16, we introduced controls at all our borders. They will have to remain as long as the numbers are high. As soon as they decrease, the controls will be lifted. So, these are temporary measures," Nancy Faeser stated.

The German minister was also asked about her assessment of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's plan, which proposes a temporary territorial suspension of the right to asylum. "I did not come to Poland to comment on the statements or decisions of Prime Minister Tusk. There is no new law yet. This law must still be passed by the Polish parliament, and only then can it be evaluated," Faeser replied.

"I assume that our neighbors will adhere to both international law and European law," she added.

Asked the same question, Siemoniak replied that "he will not comment on his boss." "The document adopted by the Council of Ministers initiates the legislative process. Relevant laws will be presented in the Sejm and the Senate within the next few weeks. Of course, everything that happens will be in accordance with international law and the Polish constitution," said the minister.