In a plenary vote on Friday, 3 July 2026, Poland’s Sejm overwhelmingly approved the government’s request to prolong a controversial regulation that blocks most asylum applications submitted at land crossings with Belarus. The 60-day extension, which will run from 20 July to 18 September, is the eighth consecutive renewal of the measure first enacted in March 2025 as part of Warsaw’s response to what it calls a “hybrid operation” orchestrated by Minsk. Interior-ministry officials told lawmakers that the pressure on the 418 km frontier remains “structural and intentional,” citing more than 480 rejected asylum attempts and recurrent incidents in which migrants, allegedly abetted by Belarusian security forces, throw stones and makeshift weapons at Polish patrols. Vulnerable applicants—unaccompanied minors, pregnant women and people requiring urgent medical care—retain access to the procedure, but all other requests must be lodged at Polish consulates abroad. Human-rights groups have warned that the blanket suspension violates the EU Asylum Procedures Regulation and risks refoulement, yet a cross-party coalition of 406 MPs endorsed the extension, with only 16 opposed. Government benches argue that the measure is temporary, targeted and proportional, pointing to the parallel €700 million border-wall project and the deployment of 3,000 troops under Operation “Safe Podlasie.” For multinational employers and assignment managers, the decision means skilled-worker candidates of non-EU nationality who plan to enter Poland from Belarus will continue to face legal uncertainty. Companies are advised to route personnel via authorised Schengen airports or obtain national visas before travel. Investors with facilities near Białystok should also review contingency plans, as the buffer zone limits access for contractors and auditors.
Source: Bankier.pl
