Britain is close to sealing the deal on a new security treaty with Poland to tackle the threat from Russia and illegal migration. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell discussed the pact with Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski during his trip to London last week. Mr Sikorski said it was close to being finalised, marking the latest in a series of pacts with Britain’s European allies.
In July, a similar agreement was signed with Germany, and negotiations with France are ongoing. This latest security treaty is expected to expand the joint measures with Poland to mitigate against Russian interference and crack down on illegal migration and people smuggling. Mr Sikorski claimed the best way to tackle the rise of right-wing populist movements was to control irregular migration during an event in Westminster by the campaign group United Against Nuclear Iran.
He said: “I believe that we have delivered on migration. We’ve built a big and beautiful fence on our border with Belarus, which is 98% effective.
“I’ve raised the prices of Polish visas. We’ve ended the business of fake students doing fake studies just to get a work permit. And we’ve reduced net migration from culturally distant countries.
“And in return, I’m pleased to say that for the first time in 300 years, last year, more Poles have come back to Poland than have left Poland. So Poles are voting with their feet to go back to our country.”
This comes as senior officials warned that Russian spies have links to people smuggling gangs trafficking asylum seekers into Europe.
Daniel Mitov, Bulgaria’s interior minister, said his government has evidence of direct links between Russia’s foreign intelligence agency and the criminal gangs helping illegal migrants to enter Europe.
He told The Times: “Illegal migration inflows are an instrument for hostile regimes to destabilise the European Union and the United Kingdom.
“They are aiming to destabilise the welfare systems [in European countries]. Plus, of course … through smuggling radicalised individuals, they create security issues for us.
“Now is the time to build a home and preserve our internal freedoms … Every house needs walls. Those walls need to be solid and there are gates through which every guest can enter.”
