Poland's parliament has again extended the suspension of the right to apply for international protection at the country's border with Belarus. The Sejm voted on 6 November, with 425 MPs in favour and 17 against, to keep the restriction in force for another 60 days from 17 November. Poland first restricted asylum applications at the Belarus border in March 2025, and the measure has been renewed repeatedly since then. The border, about 418 kilometres long, has been the focus of Polish security operations since 2021, when attempted crossings surged.

Why Warsaw says the ban is needed

Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government says the suspension is a response to the deliberate funnelling of migrants across the border by Belarus, which Warsaw describes as a form of hybrid pressure backed by Russia. The law allows the government to suspend asylum rights for up to 60 days at a time where it believes migration is being instrumentalised, with each extension requiring parliament's consent. The government says the measure is needed to regain control over who enters and leaves the country.

Criticism and exemptions

The measure has drawn sustained criticism from human rights groups. The UN refugee agency UNHCR warned in February that the law would not align with international or European asylum law, and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also objected. The law provides exemptions for unaccompanied children, pregnant women, elderly and sick people, and those facing a real risk of serious harm if returned. Poland is the second EU country, after Finland, to suspend asylum rights at a border, and the European Commission has said such exceptional measures must remain temporary and proportionate.

[Source: Reform.news via BytesEU](https://www.byteseu.com/2503434/) | [Source: Polish Ministry of the Interior / Office for Foreigners (gov.pl)](https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc-en/restriction-of-the-right-to-make-an-application-for-international-protection)