Poland extends suspension of asylum applications at Belarus border

Poland has extended for another 60 days a suspension of the right to apply for asylum at its border with Belarus, the Interior Ministry said.

“Starting today — September 18 — a temporary suspension of the right to asylum at the border with Belarus comes into force for another 60 days. This is already the eighth extension since this mechanism was introduced,” the ministry wrote on X, according to Caliber.Az.

🗓️ 🚧 Od dzisiaj (18 września) przez kolejnych 60 dni obowiązuje czasowe zawieszenie prawa do azylu na granicy z Białorusią.

🔝 To już ósme przedłużenie od momentu wprowadzenia mechanizmu. Cel - to wygaszenie sztucznie stworzonego szlaku migracyjnego i zapewnienie… pic.twitter.com/GEECkr5GrU

— MSWiA 🇵🇱 (@MSWiA_GOV_PL) September 18, 2026

Poland’s Sejm, the lower house of parliament, approved the extension on September 9.

The government first suspended the right to submit asylum applications at the Belarusian border for 60 days in late March 2024. The restriction has since been extended several times for additional 60-day periods.

The mechanism was subsequently enshrined in Polish law and has drawn criticism from human rights organisations and Poland’s political left.

By Tamilla Hasanova