EU Commissioner for Home Affairs: there is no mandatory relocation of migrants

Poland will demand the reform of the European Union's border agency Frontex and more funds for dealing with migrants, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday (June 29), as he prepared to oppose a migration deal at an EU summit in Brussels.

"We have an alternative plan, a plan of securing Europe's borders and I will present it here and it will be about reinforcing Frontex, who is also signalling that illegal immigration indirectly supports smuggling groups, it supports de facto terrorism in Europe. It is enough to look at what they (Frontex) write in their report," he said

He said that countries responsible for securing the EU's external borders should receive more funds and that social benefits for people entering the bloc should be limited.

"Here, today at the meeting of the European Council meeting I will propose a plan called 'The Europe of secure borders'. 'The Europe of secure borders' is no to illegal immigration, it is no for imposed financial penalties, it is no to the resignation of unanimity rule," Morawiecki stressed.

"And it is yes to the sovereignty, yes to security, yes to the security of Polish borders, Polish streets, Polish cities and towns, but we also wish this to all our European friends," he added.

European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, whose responsibilites also include the issue of EU migration policy, spoke on Thursday with "Fakty" TVN reporter Michał Tracz-Koszela.

Asked about Morawiecki's words, Ylva Johansson replied: "no, nobody’s forced to accept any immigrants".

She added that EU's general approach towards the migration deal was that "solidarity towards countries that are under pressure should be mandatory". "But countries and the member states can choose in what way they would like to support. They can do it with relocation, but they can also do it in other ways. So there is no mandatory relocation of migrants."

The EU commissioner also commented on the question of Poland in terms of the planned EU mechanism. "What is also important, is that what’s clear in the Council conclusion - that a country like Poland, who is really under pressure (and) has 1 million Ukrainian refugees, is a member state that could contribute from solidarity from other member states," she said.

"It’s also a member state that would not be forced to do any solidarity towards other member states while they are under this migratory pressure that they are right now."

"So, I think it’s a very balanced proposal on solidarity between member states, but also to make sure that you don’t do it in a way that would not be accepted," the EU commissioner added.

Under the deal reached earlier this month, each country would be responsible for a set number of migrants, but would not necessarily have to take them in.

Countries unwilling to receive irregular migrants and refugees arriving ad hoc to the EU would help their hosting peers through cash - around 20,000 euros per person - equipment or personnel.

Poland says it will hold a referendum on whether to accept the deal, possibly on the same day as elections scheduled for October or November.