Latest news with #Polish-Lithuanian
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Anti-immigration demonstrations in more than 80 cities across Poland
Anti-immigration protests organised by the far-right Confederation Libery and Independence party took place in more than 80 cities across Poland, including in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Bialystok. Demonstrators demanded the closure of the borders with Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovakia. "Enough of the years-long policy of 'let everyone in, and who they are will be determined later'," Krzysztof Bosak, one of Confederation party's leaders, wrote on X. "Polish women and men have the right to be concerned about the level of security in their own homeland," he added. In a speech at the start of the march, Bosak demanded the resignation of Donald Tusk's government, the closure of the borders with Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovakia to curb illegal immigration, and the permission for soldiers to shoot at people who cross the border illegally. "Without closing Poland to illegal immigration, without launching a deportation operation, without renouncing political correctness, without equipping the Border Guard and the forces responsible for controlling the legality of residence, and without controlling the labour market, security will gradually deteriorate," he said, calling for a change in policy. The protests come shortly after Poland introduced border controls with Germany and Lithuania, which came into effect on 7 July. On the Polish-German border, controls are in place at 52 places and on the Polish-Lithuanian border at 13. The issue of migration has been widely up for debate, and a contentious topic in Polish politics, particularly as the country has experienced a rise in immigration in recent years. In the first round of the presidential elections held in May, candidates of the far-right performed well, with Slawomir Mentzen of the Confederation Libery and Independence party and Grzegorz Braun of Confederation of the Polish Crown party coming in third and fourth, respectively. Many believe that both candidates' successes were due to their hardline stance on migration. Interior ministers agree on asylum rules On Friday, Poland and five other EU countries, agreed a set of targets for tightening asylum rules. During the meeting hosted by Germany's interior minister, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted that he was "pleased that Poland is carrying out border controls." Last year, Poland saw an increase in asylum applications due to the recurring crisis on its eastern border with Belarus, which has been ongoing since 2021. As a result, the Polish parliament passed a law temporarily suspending the right to apply for asylum for those who crossed the Belarusian border. Both Polish and European leaders have long accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating the influx of migrants to destabilise the EU. On Saturday morning, the Ministry of Interior and Administration published statistics on the number of approvals issued for special protection for foreigners on X. "In 2024, we issued 40 per cent fewer approvals for special protection for foreigners than in 2021. This is the result of a better managed system, our operations at the border and more efficient procedures," the post read. "The government is pursuing a responsible and well-considered migration policy, taking care of the stability and security of citizens," it added. Counter demonstrations in many cities Counter-manifestations against the Confederation marches were also held in Warsaw, Katowice, Olsztyn and other cities on Saturday. Demonstrators carried banners with the slogans: "Accept the refugees, delete the fascists," "Action Democracy" and "We defend the right to asylum." "Everyone, regardless of their skin colour and origin, should feel comfortable not only in Poland, but also in Europe," Maria Książak of the International Humanitarian Initiative Foundation said during the demonstration.
Euronews
4 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Anti-immigrantion demonstrations in more than 80 cities across Poland
Anti-immigration protests organised by the far-right Confederation Libery and Independence party took place in more than 80 cities across Poland, including in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Bialystok. Demonstrators demanded the closure of the borders with Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovakia. "Enough of the years-long policy of 'let everyone in, and who they are will be determined later'," Krzysztof Bosak, one of Confederation party's leaders, wrote on X. "Polish women and men have the right to be concerned about the level of security in their own homeland," he added. In a speech at the start of the march, Bosak demanded the resignation of Donald Tusk's government, the closure of the borders with Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovakia to curb illegal immigration, and the permission for soldiers to shoot at people who cross the border illegally. "Without closing Poland to illegal immigration, without launching a deportation operation, without renouncing political correctness, without equipping the Border Guard and the forces responsible for controlling the legality of residence, and without controlling the labour market, security will gradually deteriorate," he said, calling for a change in policy. The protests come shortly after Poland introduced border controls with Germany and Lithuania, which came into effect on 7 July. On the Polish-German border, controls are in place at 52 places and on the Polish-Lithuanian border at 13. The issue of migration has been widely up for debate, and a contentious topic in Polish politics, particularly as the country has experienced a rise in immigration in recent years. In the first round of the presidential elections held in May, candidates of the far-right performed well, with Slawomir Mentzen of the Confederation Libery and Independence party and Grzegorz Braun of Confederation of the Polish Crown party coming in third and fourth, respectively. Many believe that both candidates' successes were due to their hardline stance on migration. Interior ministers agree on asylum rules On Friday, Poland and five other EU countries, agreed a set of targets for tightening asylum rules. During the meeting hosted by Germany's interior minister, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted that he was "pleased that Poland is carrying out border controls." Last year, Poland saw an increase in asylum applications due to the recurring crisis on its eastern border with Belarus, which has been ongoing since 2021. As a result, the Polish parliament passed a law temporarily suspending the right to apply for asylum for those who crossed the Belarusian border. Both Polish and European leaders have long accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating the influx of migrants to destabilise the EU. On Saturday morning, the Ministry of Interior and Administration published statistics on the number of approvals issued for special protection for foreigners on X. "In 2024, we issued 40 per cent fewer approvals for special protection for foreigners than in 2021. This is the result of a better managed system, our operations at the border and more efficient procedures," the post read. "The government is pursuing a responsible and well-considered migration policy, taking care of the stability and security of citizens," it added. Counter demonstrations in many cities Counter-manifestations against the Confederation marches were also held in Warsaw, Katowice, Olsztyn and other cities on Saturday. Demonstrators carried banners with the slogans: "Accept the refugees, delete the fascists," "Action Democracy" and "We defend the right to asylum." "Everyone, regardless of their skin colour and origin, should feel comfortable not only in Poland, but also in Europe," Maria Książak of the International Humanitarian Initiative Foundation said during the demonstration.
Euractiv
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Poland reintroduces border controls with Germany, Lithuania in latest Schengen blow
Poland will introduce temporary controls at its borders with Germany and Lithuania from next Monday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced. The decision came on Tuesday, one day after Tusk had teased the measure at a press conference. He framed it as a reaction to an inflow of irregular arrivals from Lithuania and to reports that German was sending illegal migrants to Poland. The prime minister said on Tuesday that the decision had been made after a briefing in the morning "on the situation at the Polish border and the consideration of the Border Guard's request for the temporary restoration of controls at the Polish-German and Polish-Lithuanian borders." Based on this, the government had decided to temporarily restore controls that would enter into force from Monday. Poland's announcement follows Belgium's move last month to reinstate police checks at the border this summer, delivering another blow to the Schengen dream of free movement, just days after the pact's 40th anniversary. Poland previously suspended asylum applications at parts of its border with Belarus, as it accused Minsk and Moscow of targetedly sending migrants over the border to destabilise the country. On Monday, Tusk said that he would now make sure that "people who cross borders illegally do not come from the Lithuanian direction." There had also been reports in Poland that Germany was sending migrants, who had already arrived in Germany, to Poland. That had led to right-wing groups forming so-called 'Civic Guard' units that were patrolling border crossings with Germany. Berlin had reintroduced checks at all its borders last year and started turning away all irregular arrivals including asylum seekers after the inauguration of the new conservative government in May. "We have informed the German side that if there are cases that we see as doubtful, we'll have to reinstate checks at the Polish-German border," Tusk said on Monday. Germany denies 'repatriation tourism' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denied that Germany had engaged in any such practice. Some media in Poland had claimed that there was "so to speak, regular repatriation tourism from Germany to Poland", he said on Monday. "This is not the case, there are no such cases," he stressed. Merz said that illegal border crossings were "a joint problem" between Germany and Poland that needed to be solved. The two governments had been coordinating on the matter since last week and would work closely to "keep the burden [of the border controls] to a minimum," Lithuania also said it had been informed of the Polish decision. Both countries would need to assess which measures would be most effective in protecting the EU's external border while "maintaining everyone's expectation that the measures won't violate our interest in free movement of persons," said Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys. Blow to Schengen Poland's decision came as the latest exception to Europe's border-free Schengen travel zone, supervised by the European Commission. A Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday that controls at internal Schengen border were "possible under certain conditions." The Commission was "in close with in close contact with all the member states that have border controls in place and all the member states that are affected by them," they added. Several countries, including Germany, had used the possibility of legal exceptions to reintroduce border controls over the last few months, after migration figures spiked in 2023 after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Merz said on Tuesday that Europe was committed to "preserving this Schengen area." "But freedom of movement in the Schengen area will only work in the long term if it is not abused by those who promote irregular migration, particularly through smuggling," he added. Why Merz's migration crackdown is failing A court ruled that Germany's new border policy is effectively unlawful. It will hardly change the reality on the ground. Nicoletta Ionta and Alexandra Brzozowski contributed reporting. (om)
Axios
23-06-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Chill recipes for these hot, hot Midwest days
🥵 As near record-high temperatures continue to broil the Midwest, many are turning to pools, lakes and cooling centers for relief. But don't sleep on using food to beat the heat. Why it matters: Chilled soups, salads and other cold delicacies offer a way to turn down your body temperature without heating your kitchen. Dig in: Axios reporters have compiled some of our favorite hot weather recipes featuring a variety of cooling foods. Monica Eng in Chicago travels to Spain in her mind by whizzing a peeled and seeded cucumber with two cloves of garlic, half an onion, a sweet pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar and jug of tomato juice in a blender for cold gazpacho. 🍉 Monica also turns to her mint garden to make an ultra-easy watermelon salad topped with olive oil, mint, and crumbled feta. And she blends watermelon chunks, mint, lime juice and ice for a healthy slurpy. Up in the Twin Cities, Geoff Ziezulewicz avoids his dad's cold beet borscht, known as chlodnik, but Monica loves making this Polish-Lithuanian blend of beets, yogurt, dill, cucumbers and more. Looks like Pepto Bismol but tastes like a dream. Delano Massey, our Midwest managing editor, swears by the cooling power of a mint julep, essentially a "cold front in a glass." In Cleveland, Troy Smith's kids are all about the old school freeze pops. Yes, the same ones we all had as kids. However, they only eat the good colors — red, purple, blue — leaving Troy with a fridge full of green and orange no one wants. 🍋 Troy's Cleveland compatriot, Sam Allard, opts for the original Lemon Chill — not only a tart and refreshing summer treat but historically one of the best bargains at Progressive Field. 🧊 Arika Herron in Indianapolis switches to cold brew when temps climb above 90 (and swears by these Trader Joe's coffee bags to make it at home). Consider adding a hint of cinnamon or cardamom to boost the cooling effect. Out in Pittsburgh, Chrissy Suttles cools down with vegan ceviche made with hearts of palm instead of fish. 🍌 Alissa Widman Neese in Columbus offers a popsicle alternative: She used to freeze half a banana on a popsicle stick when working at an ice cream shop in her hometown. (Those were dipped in a chocolate shell, but they're good on their own!) It's a perfect use for those just-a-little-too-ripe bananas when you can't turn on the oven to make banana bread. 🥒 Justin Mack is a sucker for pickle-flavored everything when the hottest months of the year roll around in Indianapolis.
Miami Herald
13-02-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Rare medieval brass emblem — 600 years old — discovered in Poland field. See the find
Following its discovery in a farm field in northern Poland, a chunk of engraved brass has been confirmed by historians and archaeologists to actually be a 600-year-old religious seal. The item was first examined by Adrian Kłos, co-founder of the private archaeological firm Pogotowie Archeologiczne, or Archaeology Emergency, according to a Feb. 11 Facebook post from the company. The brass item had one flat side and one side with a stand and ring, photos show. The flattened side was carved with an intricate image, showing someone in a crown holding a sword and a circle, and encircled by a gothic phrase, the company said. The image is that of St. Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of the Braniewo church, and the items she holds are symbols of her martyrdom, according to the company. The piece would have been used as a seal for the church, archaeologists said, and dates to the 14th century. The seal is somehow almost perfectly preserved, though archaeologists are unsure whether it was intentionally hidden, lost, or merely abandoned in the field, according to the company. Archaeologists said seals from the Middle Ages are rare to find, and this piece is particularly unique because it appears to belong to the church's parish and not to a specific rectory. The seal would have been used by the Bishopric of Braniewo, and the image even appeared in battle, the company said. In 1410, the symbol of St. Catherine of Alexandria was put on the Bishopric of Braniewo's banner and displayed during the Battle of Grunwald, a conflict that is the subject of the artist Jan Matejko's famous painting, archaeologists said. The painting, entitled 'The Battle of Grunwald,' depicts the combined Polish-Lithuanian forces battling the Knights of the Teutonic Order, a religious order from the Middle East. The battle is seen as a final blow to the order in its plan to expand along the Baltic Sea and marked the beginning of the combined Poland-Lithuania state. The seal was found outside Braniewo, a town on the northern coast of Poland. Facebook Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from Archaeology Emergency.
