Poland: Proposing a referendum on the immigrant wall

The ruling nationalist Law and Justice party announced Monday that the Polish government wants to ask voters if it will demolish the newly built metal fence preventing immigration from Belarus.

In all, the party wants to vote on four questions addressed to the population regarding the parliamentary elections on October 15th.

Other cases will relate to refusal to accept immigrants under EU rules, refusal to privatize state-owned companies and agree to raise the retirement age.

The referendum is seen as an important component of the ruling party’s election campaign, which aims to discredit the opposition and rally voters around the current government’s policies.

The metal fence, which was completed last June, is five and a half meters high and stretches 186 kilometers along Poland’s northern border with Belarus.

Poland and the European Union have previously accused Belarus of allowing migrants to pass through the country to enter the European Union from there. Last week, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced that about 10,000 soldiers will soon be on the border, which is being implemented for “deterrence purposes”.

Members of Poland’s parliament, the Sejm, will decide to hold the referendum later this week.

Critics of the referendum point out that it is not mandatory and that voters can ignore it. The Polish opposition calls for a boycott.