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WARSAW, July 8 (AP) – Polish lawmakers approved legal amendments that open the way for a national referendum on accepting immigrants to be held in conjunction with national elections expected this fall.
Poland’s conservative government has rejected an EU plan to share responsibility for unauthorized migrants entering Europe to ease the situation in front-line countries and plans to hold a referendum on the issue.
The opposition said the referendum was a political ploy by Poland’s ruling party to improve the election result.
The amendment was passed in parliament on Friday by a vote of 243 to 209, with one abstention.
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The amendment allows for a referendum to be held on the day of parliamentary elections, which is expected to increase turnout for both ballots.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday his cabinet planned to hold a referendum on the acceptance of immigrants on election day. A date for the parliamentary election has not yet been announced but is expected to be held in mid-October.
The amendment still needs approval from the Senate and President Andrzej Duda.
Poland and Hungary last week rejected a statement by EU leaders on the priority of restricting entry, and the two countries also voted against a June 8 agreement that balanced the obligations of front-line countries with demands for support from other member states .
Poland argues that it has taken millions of war refugees from Ukraine – some 1.2 million are registered as temporary residents – and cannot accept any unauthorized migrants into Europe.
Poland has called for migrants to be stopped before they reach EU borders. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a syndicated news feed, the latest staff may not have modified or edited the body of content)
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