Poland uses incident at border to justify tighter controls with Germany, as Europe fractures over migration
'We consider the temporary reintroduction of controls necessary to reduce the uncontrolled flows of migrants across the Polish-German border to a minimum,' Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
Domestic political pressures are fuelling tensions over the issue. Tusk suffered a setback in Poland's presidential election in June when his preferred candidate was defeated.
New president Karol Nawrocki is an admirer of US President Donald Trump and argues for tougher policies on migration.
Last month, when Germany announced border checks to turn away asylum seekers, Nawrocki responded by calling for stricter measures on the Polish side.
Ramping up the pressure, Nawrocki on Friday accused Tusk of allowing Germany to send undocumented migrants into Poland – turning the dispute into a question of national pride.
Travellers have been free to cross internal borders for decades in the Schengen zone of 29 countries in Europe that agreed on free movement, a boon for visitors who can move around much of the continent without a visa.
The dispute between Germany and Poland does not change the visa-free travel for tourists, but it highlights the pressure on the Schengen pact when countries are at odds over asylum seekers.
Merz said on Tuesday that Germany wants to preserve the Schengen system, but this could work only if it was not abused by criminals who smuggle migrants.
'We know that the Polish government also wants to impose border controls with Lithuania in order to limit illegal border crossings from Lithuania to Poland,' Merz told a news conference.
'So, we have a common problem here that we want to solve together.'
Knut Abraham, the German government's commissioner for Poland, was critical of the shift to border restrictions.
'The solution cannot lie in pushing migrants back and forth between Poland and Germany or in cementing border controls on both sides,' Die Welt newspaper quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, Britain and France are negotiating a means to discourage thousands of asylum seekers who travel to northern France in the hope of crossing the English Channel.
French President Emmanuel Macron travels to London on Tuesday for a three-day state visit that will include a welcome from King Charles and talks with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Macron and Starmer have been discussing an agreement dubbed 'one in, one out' because it would allow Britain to send some asylum seekers back to France.
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Sydney Morning Herald
18 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Poland uses incident at border to justify tighter controls with Germany, as Europe fractures over migration
Poland's cabinet ministers decided on the tougher border checks last week and plan to begin the new regimen along the German border on Monday, while also applying them on the nearby border with Lithuania. 'We consider the temporary reintroduction of controls necessary to reduce the uncontrolled flows of migrants across the Polish-German border to a minimum,' Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. Domestic political pressures are fuelling tensions over the issue. Tusk suffered a setback in Poland's presidential election in June when his preferred candidate was defeated. New president Karol Nawrocki is an admirer of US President Donald Trump and argues for tougher policies on migration. Last month, when Germany announced border checks to turn away asylum seekers, Nawrocki responded by calling for stricter measures on the Polish side. Ramping up the pressure, Nawrocki on Friday accused Tusk of allowing Germany to send undocumented migrants into Poland – turning the dispute into a question of national pride. Travellers have been free to cross internal borders for decades in the Schengen zone of 29 countries in Europe that agreed on free movement, a boon for visitors who can move around much of the continent without a visa. The dispute between Germany and Poland does not change the visa-free travel for tourists, but it highlights the pressure on the Schengen pact when countries are at odds over asylum seekers. Merz said on Tuesday that Germany wants to preserve the Schengen system, but this could work only if it was not abused by criminals who smuggle migrants. 'We know that the Polish government also wants to impose border controls with Lithuania in order to limit illegal border crossings from Lithuania to Poland,' Merz told a news conference. 'So, we have a common problem here that we want to solve together.' Knut Abraham, the German government's commissioner for Poland, was critical of the shift to border restrictions. 'The solution cannot lie in pushing migrants back and forth between Poland and Germany or in cementing border controls on both sides,' Die Welt newspaper quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, Britain and France are negotiating a means to discourage thousands of asylum seekers who travel to northern France in the hope of crossing the English Channel. French President Emmanuel Macron travels to London on Tuesday for a three-day state visit that will include a welcome from King Charles and talks with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Macron and Starmer have been discussing an agreement dubbed 'one in, one out' because it would allow Britain to send some asylum seekers back to France.
The Age
18 hours ago
- The Age
Poland uses incident at border to justify tighter controls with Germany, as Europe fractures over migration
Poland's cabinet ministers decided on the tougher border checks last week and plan to begin the new regimen along the German border on Monday, while also applying them on the nearby border with Lithuania. 'We consider the temporary reintroduction of controls necessary to reduce the uncontrolled flows of migrants across the Polish-German border to a minimum,' Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. Domestic political pressures are fuelling tensions over the issue. Tusk suffered a setback in Poland's presidential election in June when his preferred candidate was defeated. New president Karol Nawrocki is an admirer of US President Donald Trump and argues for tougher policies on migration. Last month, when Germany announced border checks to turn away asylum seekers, Nawrocki responded by calling for stricter measures on the Polish side. Ramping up the pressure, Nawrocki on Friday accused Tusk of allowing Germany to send undocumented migrants into Poland – turning the dispute into a question of national pride. Travellers have been free to cross internal borders for decades in the Schengen zone of 29 countries in Europe that agreed on free movement, a boon for visitors who can move around much of the continent without a visa. The dispute between Germany and Poland does not change the visa-free travel for tourists, but it highlights the pressure on the Schengen pact when countries are at odds over asylum seekers. Merz said on Tuesday that Germany wants to preserve the Schengen system, but this could work only if it was not abused by criminals who smuggle migrants. 'We know that the Polish government also wants to impose border controls with Lithuania in order to limit illegal border crossings from Lithuania to Poland,' Merz told a news conference. 'So, we have a common problem here that we want to solve together.' Knut Abraham, the German government's commissioner for Poland, was critical of the shift to border restrictions. 'The solution cannot lie in pushing migrants back and forth between Poland and Germany or in cementing border controls on both sides,' Die Welt newspaper quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, Britain and France are negotiating a means to discourage thousands of asylum seekers who travel to northern France in the hope of crossing the English Channel. French President Emmanuel Macron travels to London on Tuesday for a three-day state visit that will include a welcome from King Charles and talks with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Macron and Starmer have been discussing an agreement dubbed 'one in, one out' because it would allow Britain to send some asylum seekers back to France.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Pope takes first action to address abuse by clergy
Pope Leo has appointed a French archbishop as the new leader of the Vatican's commission on clergy sexual abuse, in the US pontiff's first public move to confront an issue that has damaged the global church's credibility. Thibault Verny, 59, will be president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors while also remaining the archbishop of Chambery in southeast France. The Vatican commission was created by Pope Francis in 2014 in an effort by the late pontiff to respond after sexual abuse scandals affected the church in countries across the world. The scandals have damaged the church's standing as a moral voice, led to lawsuits costing millions in countries across the globe, and resulted in a number of resignations of bishops. Verny said he was committed to improving the church's safeguarding measures. "We will promote the ... equitable sharing of resources so that all parts of the church, regardless of geography or circumstance, can uphold the highest standards of protection," he said in a statement. Verny replaces Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the former archbishop of Boston. O'Malley, 81, had been serving beyond the church's traditional retirement age of 80 for bishops. O'Malley had led the group since its creation. While some victims have praised the commission's efforts, it has also been roiled by the resignations of several of its members over the years. In 2023, a prominent Jesuit priest and papal adviser stepped down, saying publicly that he had concerns over the way the group was operating. Verny was first made a member of the commission by Francis in 2022. He has also led the French Church's safeguarding efforts. O'Malley praised the appointment, saying in a statement Verny was "a collaborative leader committed to advancing the global adoption of protection and safeguarding, to as best possible assure the safety of those in the care of the church throughout the world". Pope Leo has appointed a French archbishop as the new leader of the Vatican's commission on clergy sexual abuse, in the US pontiff's first public move to confront an issue that has damaged the global church's credibility. Thibault Verny, 59, will be president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors while also remaining the archbishop of Chambery in southeast France. The Vatican commission was created by Pope Francis in 2014 in an effort by the late pontiff to respond after sexual abuse scandals affected the church in countries across the world. The scandals have damaged the church's standing as a moral voice, led to lawsuits costing millions in countries across the globe, and resulted in a number of resignations of bishops. Verny said he was committed to improving the church's safeguarding measures. "We will promote the ... equitable sharing of resources so that all parts of the church, regardless of geography or circumstance, can uphold the highest standards of protection," he said in a statement. Verny replaces Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the former archbishop of Boston. O'Malley, 81, had been serving beyond the church's traditional retirement age of 80 for bishops. O'Malley had led the group since its creation. While some victims have praised the commission's efforts, it has also been roiled by the resignations of several of its members over the years. In 2023, a prominent Jesuit priest and papal adviser stepped down, saying publicly that he had concerns over the way the group was operating. Verny was first made a member of the commission by Francis in 2022. He has also led the French Church's safeguarding efforts. O'Malley praised the appointment, saying in a statement Verny was "a collaborative leader committed to advancing the global adoption of protection and safeguarding, to as best possible assure the safety of those in the care of the church throughout the world". Pope Leo has appointed a French archbishop as the new leader of the Vatican's commission on clergy sexual abuse, in the US pontiff's first public move to confront an issue that has damaged the global church's credibility. Thibault Verny, 59, will be president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors while also remaining the archbishop of Chambery in southeast France. The Vatican commission was created by Pope Francis in 2014 in an effort by the late pontiff to respond after sexual abuse scandals affected the church in countries across the world. The scandals have damaged the church's standing as a moral voice, led to lawsuits costing millions in countries across the globe, and resulted in a number of resignations of bishops. Verny said he was committed to improving the church's safeguarding measures. "We will promote the ... equitable sharing of resources so that all parts of the church, regardless of geography or circumstance, can uphold the highest standards of protection," he said in a statement. Verny replaces Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the former archbishop of Boston. O'Malley, 81, had been serving beyond the church's traditional retirement age of 80 for bishops. O'Malley had led the group since its creation. While some victims have praised the commission's efforts, it has also been roiled by the resignations of several of its members over the years. In 2023, a prominent Jesuit priest and papal adviser stepped down, saying publicly that he had concerns over the way the group was operating. Verny was first made a member of the commission by Francis in 2022. He has also led the French Church's safeguarding efforts. O'Malley praised the appointment, saying in a statement Verny was "a collaborative leader committed to advancing the global adoption of protection and safeguarding, to as best possible assure the safety of those in the care of the church throughout the world". Pope Leo has appointed a French archbishop as the new leader of the Vatican's commission on clergy sexual abuse, in the US pontiff's first public move to confront an issue that has damaged the global church's credibility. Thibault Verny, 59, will be president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors while also remaining the archbishop of Chambery in southeast France. The Vatican commission was created by Pope Francis in 2014 in an effort by the late pontiff to respond after sexual abuse scandals affected the church in countries across the world. The scandals have damaged the church's standing as a moral voice, led to lawsuits costing millions in countries across the globe, and resulted in a number of resignations of bishops. Verny said he was committed to improving the church's safeguarding measures. "We will promote the ... equitable sharing of resources so that all parts of the church, regardless of geography or circumstance, can uphold the highest standards of protection," he said in a statement. Verny replaces Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the former archbishop of Boston. O'Malley, 81, had been serving beyond the church's traditional retirement age of 80 for bishops. O'Malley had led the group since its creation. While some victims have praised the commission's efforts, it has also been roiled by the resignations of several of its members over the years. In 2023, a prominent Jesuit priest and papal adviser stepped down, saying publicly that he had concerns over the way the group was operating. Verny was first made a member of the commission by Francis in 2022. He has also led the French Church's safeguarding efforts. O'Malley praised the appointment, saying in a statement Verny was "a collaborative leader committed to advancing the global adoption of protection and safeguarding, to as best possible assure the safety of those in the care of the church throughout the world".
