EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says Poland and other eastern flank countries can suspend asylum rights if they believe that Belarus and Russia are “weaponizing” migrants to destabilize the bloc. The number of migrants arriving at EU borders from Belarus increased 66% this year. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk angered rights groups in October when he announced plans to suspend asylum applications for up to 60 days as his country struggles with migratory pressures on its border with Belarus. European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said Wednesday that any freeze on asylum must remain “truly exceptional, temporary, proportionate and for clearly defined cases.”