Poland’s President Andrzej Duda claimed that a significant number of immigrants come to Europe with the expectation of receiving free benefits, according to an interview aired Sunday on a US political affairs program.
Duda’s remarks come amid accusations from Warsaw that Moscow has been involved in smuggling people from Africa into Europe. According to these claims, Russia has been flying these migrants to Belarus and then sending them to the Polish border.
In the interview, Duda stated, “If someone arrives in Poland under the false belief that they will receive everything for free and live a better life without working, we do not agree to such arrivals.”
He was speaking with conservative news host Sharyl Attkisson on Sinclair Television’s “Full Measure” program. When Attkisson asked if many people were coming to Europe expecting free benefits, Duda confirmed, “Yes.”
“I believe that in many cases, this is indeed happening. That’s why we see such reactions in Western Europe,” Duda added.
Since the summer of 2021, thousands of migrants and refugees, primarily from the Middle East, have attempted to cross the border between Belarus—an ally of Russia—and Poland, a NATO and EU member.
In May, Poland announced plans to invest over 2.3 billion euros ($2.5 billion) to strengthen its eastern border with Belarus. Warsaw claims that Russia has used the border to destabilize the region through hybrid attacks.
In June, a Polish soldier was killed after being stabbed through a five-meter-high (16-foot) metal fence at the border, which Poland had erected in 2022. The Polish military also reported additional attacks on troops stationed at the border.
In response to escalating tensions, Polish lawmakers voted in July to permit security forces to use lethal force against active threats, including those at the border with Belarus.