Minister Siemoniak rebutts German media refugee jibes
PR dla Zagranicy
Jo Harper
08.09.2015 13:30
Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has responded to criticism levelled by German media over Poland’s resistance to up its refugee quotas, thus, lacking solidarity with other European states.
Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak (2R), Minister of the Interior Teresa Piotrowska (2L), Minister of Agriculture Marek Sawicki (R) and government spokesperson Cezary Tomczyk (R). Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
“Our stand on refugees is suffused with the spirit of solidarity,” Siemoniak said.
The statement comes as the European Commission is gearing up to introduce new refugee quotas, under which some 160,000 refugees will be relocated to European countries, as asylum-seekers continue to turn up in the southern flanks of the European bloc.
Some parts of the German media have highly been critical in the last week of Poland's and other CEE countries' stance regarding taking in refugees.
The as yet unofficial figures come months after the Polish government committed to take in 2,000 Syrian and Eritrean nationals over a two-year period, which falls short of a quota of 3,500 refugees initially recommended by Brussels.
“We are well aware that makeshift measures [such as a quota system] and hasty decisions will not solve the problem” the head of defence stated in an interview for TVN 24 on Tuesday.
The official echoed the government head’s stand that a refugee distribution system “is a road to nowhere.”
“Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz was right in saying that such a policy makes no sense, since if we agree to quotas and welcome the first group, then a second, third and fourth will soon follow suit,” Siemoniak explained.
“We should address the reasons behind [the immigration wave] and take on a systemic approach to the matter,” the official stressed, pointing to the problems faced by the natives of countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libia and Afghanistan.
Asked whether the Polish government was willing to accept a total of 10-12,000 immigrants, a quota set under the new proposal to be made official by the European Commission tomorrow, Siemoniak responded: “I believe the words of Kopacz ─ who said on Saturday that the government would do nothing that could in any way affect the country’s security, stability – make for a clear-cut stance.”
Queried over the possibility of pursing an armed intervention aimed at combating the Islamic State in Syria, Siemoniak said: “A military operation [carried out by an international coalition led by the United States] is already underway. The action is run with Poland’s political support.” He added, however, that he had no illusions that “a military operation would solve the problem.” (ab/jh)