Polish lawmakers yesterday approved a proposed plan to build a wall on the border between Poland and Belarus.

The wall which will cost around PLN 1.6 billion to construct will be used to prevent immigrants from illegally crossing into Poland and the EU from Belarus. The migrant crisis on the border started when the regime in Minsk started to ship migrants from the Middle East to the border with Poland and other bordering EU countries in what Poland and the EU have described as a 'proxy war’. The bill was passed with 274 votes and 174 votes against with one abstention. The measure now goes to the Senate, the upper house of Poland’s parliament, for further debate.

Source – Polskie Radio

A spokesman for Poland’s security services has asserted that Poland has evidence that Russia is involved in the current attempts by Belarus to push migrants into Poland from the across the border between the Belarus and Poland.

He said that Russia was orchestrating the influx of migrants with Russian airports being used as „air transport hubs” for migrants. He added that there are currently around 14,000 migrants being hosted in Belarus which would pose a challenge for Poland and the EU in the coming months. Meanwhile, Poland is set to step up its „information outreach” efforts in the migrants’ countries of origin in a bid to discourage people from wanting to make the trip in the first place.

Source – Polskie Radio

The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will take part in a European Parliament debate next week to discuss the recent ruling by Poland’s constitutional court over it’s assertion that Polish law takes primacy over European Union law.

The debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The news came after the Polish government spokesman tweeted a day earlier that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had asked to address European lawmakers to explain Warsaw’s stance in a dispute with Brussels over whether the national constitution trumps EU law.

Source – Polskie Radio

Gdańsk city hall will be giving away spring flower bulbs this weekend for residents of the city to plant in time for spring.

Irises, tulips and  daffodils which should all be planted out in the autumn will be given away at the LOT building in the centre of town. Officials explained, it is primarily about encouraging city residents to independently introduce greenery in their immediate vicinity. In other words, about greening neighbourhood gardens or balconies. The initiative has been running since 2015 and every year sparks considerable interest among the city’s residents. Around 3000 packs of bulbs will be distributed from 11am on Saturday until stocks run out.

Source – Trójmiasto.pl

Weather

Today will be a cold and showery day with with a moderate breeze and temperatures reaching 12 degrees centigrade (54 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, dropping to 5 degrees overnight. Tomorrow will be a cloudy day with temperatures reaching a chilly 11 degrees during the day and 6 degrees overnight.

Martin Caren/MarWer