Polish Interior Ministry prepares bill to tighten rules at border

The Polish Interior Ministry has prepared a bill to amend the border protection law to indefinitely extend provisions in the country's border areas that are currently in place under a state of emergency, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Saturday.

In late September, Poland declared a state of emergency in the regions bordering Belarus, allowing access only to the locals and imposing several other restrictions. Under the Polish constitution, it can only last no more than 90 days.

"We at the Interior Ministry have prepared an amendment to the law. After the state of emergency is over at the end of the month, we will introduce an amendment to the law, which, in essence, will extend that is [in place] right now, but in a flexible manner, with taking into account various comments," Kaminski told the Polish RMF FM radio station.

He added that the new order will no longer be viewed as a state of emergency but will become part of border protection policy.

According to the minister, the amendment will be reviewed by the country's lower house next week and will allow journalists to visit the border areas, albeit with the border service's approval for each sortie.

Several thousand migrants trying to reach the European Union have found themselves stranded at the border between Poland and Belarus in the last few weeks. The Polish authorities have boosted the country's border security, brought in the military and are trying to prevent illegal crossings into its territory in addition to accusing Minsk of instigating the current crisis. Belarus, for its part, has rejected all accusations, claiming that Poland is expelling migrants by force. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )

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