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Polish President Andrzej Duda has stated that many immigrants come to Europe expecting to receive free benefits without having to work.
Duda stated this in an interview aired on a US political affairs programme.
He said that Poland does not agree to such arrivals, amid accusations that Russia has tried to smuggle thousands of people from Africa into Europe by flying them to Russia and sending them to the Polish border via Belarus.
According to Attkisson's interview, Polish President Duda stated that a significant number of people are coming to Europe expecting to receive free benefits, and this has led to a strong reaction in Western Europe.
Since the summer of 2021, thousands of migrants and refugees, primarily from the Middle East, have crossed or attempted to cross the border between Belarus, an ally of Russia, and Poland, a NATO and EU member.
In May, Warsaw announced it would spend more than 2.3 billion euros ($2.5 billion) on fortifying its eastern border with Belarus, which it said Russia had used to destabilise the region with hybrid attacks.
The following month, a Polish soldier on patrol at the border was fatally stabbed through a five-metre-high (16-foot) metal fence that Poland had erected in 2022.
The Polish army also reported other attacks on troops at the border.
In July, Polish lawmakers voted to allow the security forces to use lethal weapons in response to active threats, including at the tense border with Belarus.
