"I couldn’t believe this is Europe."
— Hamza from Yemen, testimony from the Polish-Belarusian border.
We, the undersigned non-governmental organisations in Poland and across Europe, are deeply alarmed by Poland’s declared intentions to suspend access to asylum, posing a significant threat to the fundamental rights of those seeking safety. We call for a responsible debate about human rights in the context of migration that is inclusive of the voices of civil society organisations as well as refugees and asylum-seekers themselves.
On 15 October 2024, the Polish Government adopted a document titled "Poland's Migration Strategy for 2025-2030. Regain Control. Ensure Security." This document introduces the possibility of temporarily and territorially suspending access to asylum procedures in Poland, adding to a dangerous trend of narrative and policy change with potentially long-lasting repercussions for the entire region. It undermines values such as solidarity, respect for human rights and dignity, the rule of law, social justice, and protection of refugees — values that make the European Union stronger, not weaker, in the face of challenges.
This issue concerns people from the European Union committed to protecting and respecting shared values and human rights, which stem from our shared humanity. It is especially troubling that the European Council has not condemned the proposal to suspend asylum access and has expressed solidarity with the Government of Poland. By raising international awareness, we hope this statement will underscore the gravity of the situation for European society as a whole and rally the support of those who uphold common European values.
Europe’s experience of war has shaped global ethical and legal standards. Democracy and the rule of law are the pillars of the modern European legal order and we must not forget the history and legacy that underpin the foundations of the European institutions.
The right to seek asylum in Europe is enshrined in international and European law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention Against Torture, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. It is also protected under Article 56 of the Polish Constitution. States are under a positive obligation to respect these standards, not only in recognition of individual rights but as an essential part of a cohesive human rights protection system rooted in the rule of law. These legal instruments ensure that individuals fleeing persecution or serious harm have the right to seek protection, initiate formal procedures, and have their cases examined on an individual basis. At the heart of this system is the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to countries where their lives or freedoms would be at serious risk. States have a legal duty to comply with binding international law, safeguarding human dignity, ensuring that vulnerable people are not sent back to danger, and upholding Europe’s commitment to human rights and refugee protection.
We have long awaited the announcement of a much-needed migration strategy. However, excluding civil society from the consultation process has resulted in a document that was not built on the wealth of expertise and experience of Polish NGOs and civil society representatives.
It has now been a month since the Government of Poland announced the possibility of temporarily and territorially suspending human rights. Many public statements - including Amnesty, Migration Consortium, Association for Legal Intervention, Grupa Granica, Halina Nieć Legal Aid Center, Ocalenie Foundation - have been made by Polish civil society and academia, raising concerns about this issue. However, their concerns have not been sufficiently addressed by the Government of Poland.
We, the undersigned members of Polish civil society, reaffirm our readiness to share expertise and cooperate with the government and local authorities in building and implementing an ethically responsible migration and integration strategy for a safe Poland grounded in European democratic values and the rule of law. Migration policy decisions must be made through meaningful, good-faith consultations with civil society.
We call on the Government of Poland to respect its legal obligations to provide access to asylum and protection procedures and to engage in meaningful collaboration with all relevant civil society actors. We also call on European Member States, institutions, and civil society to show their commitment to European law and values by reaffirming the right to seek asylum for all. National security and refugee protection can and must coexist: the ultimate guarantee of both state security and the safety of individuals lies in adherence to the law and the protection of human rights. These rights are non-negotiable, just as the humanity of every individual is non-negotiable and cannot be suspended.
I/NGO or NGO network operating in Poland:
- Akcja Demokracja
- Amnesty International Polska
- Centralna Rada Romów w Polsce
- Conflict Kitchen / Kuchnia Konfliktu
- ELIL (European Lawyers in Lesvos)
- Europejskie Ugrupowanie na Rzecz Edukacji i Kreowania Aktywności "EUREKA"
- European Fem Institute
- Federacja Inicjatyw Oświatowych
- Federacja Znaki Równości
- Foundation Ukraine
- FUNDACJA KOVCHEG
- Fundacja Artonomia
- Fundacja Blind&Proud
- Fundacja Centrum Integracji Kobiet NejmovirnaPL
- Fundacja Czas Kobiet
- Fundacja Dobra Fabryka
- Fundacja Dobra Wola
- Fundacja dla migrantów DOBRY START im. A.G.Farah
- Fundacja Emic
- Fundacja Habitat for Humanity Poland
- Fundacja Humanity in Action Polska
- Fundacja Interakcja
- Fundacja Inicjatywa Dom Otwarty
- Fundacja Inicjatyw Społeczno-Ekonomicznych
- Fundacja Jesuit Refugee Service Poland
- Fundacja Jesteśmy Ważni
- Fundacja Koper Pomaga - Copernicus Group
- Fundacja Miasto Obywatelskie Lubartów
- Fundacja na rzecz Różnorodności Społecznej
- Fundacja Network of East-West Women, NEWW-Polska
- Fundacja Ocalenie / Ocalenie Foundation
- Fundacja Panoptykon
- Fundacja Polskie Forum Migracyjne
- Fundacja Równość.org.pl / Równość.org.pl Foundation
- Fundacja Rozwoju Dzieci im. J. A. Komeńskiego
- Fundacja The Warsaw House
- Fundacja To Proste
- "Fundacja w Stronę Dialogu"
- Fundacja „Dom tam gdzie Ty”
- Fundacji Integracji I Rozwoju Cudzoziemców w Polsce
- Grupa Granica
- Grupa Zagranica
- HIAS Poland
- Inicjatywa "Nasz Rzecznik"
- Instytut na rzecz Państwa Prawa
- International Rescue Committee in Poland
- Komitet Obrony Demokracji
- Konsorcjum Migracyjne
- Lekarze bez Granic / Médecins Sans Frontières
- Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Poland
- Stowarzyszenie na rzecz imigranckich rodzin osób z niepełnosprawnością "Patchwork"
- Peace Ambassadors Poland
- Plan International Poland
- Podkarpackie Stowarzyszenie dla Aktywnych Rodzin
- Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH)
- Polish Medical Mission
- Siła kobiety
- Stowarzyszenie "Dla Ziemi"
- Stowarzyszenie Dialog Społeczny
- Stowarzyszenie Egala
- Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej (Association For Legal Intervention)
- Stowarzyszenie Jesteśmy Razem
- Stowarzyszenie Laboratorium Działań dla Pokoju Salam Lab
- Stowarzyszenie Lambda Warszawa
- Stowarzyszenie Mudita
- Stowarzyszenie Nomada
- Stowarzyszenie No To Ci Pomogę
- Stowarzyszenie Pontes
- The Association of Creative Initiatives „ę”
- Ukrainian House Foundation / Fundacja "Ukraiński Dom"
I/NGO or NGO network from Europe, in solidarity:
- Action for Women Switzerland / Greece
- ARSIS Association for the Social Support of Youth
- Association "I want to help refugees" (Latvia)
- Association for Integration and Migration (SIMI)
- Association Human Constanta International
- ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH OF URBAN THEORY AND PRACTICE INOVA
- AsyLex
- Collective Aid
- EmpowerVan
- Fenix - Humanitarian Legal Aid
- Greek Forum of Refugees
- Inter Alia
- INTERSOS
- INTERSOS HELLAS
- Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta
- Jesuit Refugee Service Serbia
- Jesuit Refugee Service UK
- Jesuiten-Flüchtlingsdienst Deutschland | Jesuit Refugee Service Germany
- JOVESOLIDES SPAIN
- JRS Belgium
- JRS Bosnia and Herzegovina
- JRS Europe
- JRS France
- JRS Kosovo
- JRS Romania
- Nonviolent Peaceforce
- No Name Kitchen
- Northern Ireland Council for Racial Equality
- Oxfam
- Public Institution Roma Community Centre
- PRAB Initiative
- Roditelji u akciji - Roda
- Russian Democratic Society UK
- Sienos Grupė
- Terre des Hommes Germany
- The Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration (ASGI)
- Yoga and Sport with Refugees
