Polish PM links London attack with EU migrant policy
Police believe the attack was “Islamist-related”, but have given no details about the attacker, who they say was acting alone.
The attack is the deadliest in Britain since 2005
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Five people, including the attacker, were killed and about 40 injured on Wednesday after a car plowed into pedestrians near the British parliament.
Poland’s right-wing, eurosceptic government refused to accept any of the 6,200 migrants allocated to it under the EU’s quota scheme.
The scheme is designed to share the burden of taking in the large numbers of migrants and refugees who have come to Europe over the past two years.
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“I hear in Europe very often: do not connect the migration policy with terrorism, but it is impossible not to connect them,” Szydlo told newsmen.
“The commissioner should concentrate on what to do to avoid such acts as yesterday in London, Poland will not succumb to blackmail such as that expressed by the commissioner.
“The commissioner is coming to Warsaw and trying to tell us: you have to do what the EU decided; you have to take these migrants. Two days later another terrorist attack in London occurs,” Szydlo said.
The leader of Szydlo’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said back in 2015 that refugees could bring diseases and parasites to Poland, which is staunchly Roman Catholic and has very few Muslim immigrants.
Also on Thursday Szydlo said Poland might not accept a declaration EU leaders are due to endorse in Rome this month that will chart the bloc’s course after Britain leaves unless it addresses issues Warsaw considers.
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On Tuesday the EU’s migration commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, on a visit to Warsaw, warned member states against failing to host refugees to help alleviate pressure on frontline states bearing the brunt of arrivals across the Mediterranean.
Report says the migrant issue is just one of several over which Poland is at odds with the EU.
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