The Czech Republic and Poland are introducing controls along their borders with Slovakia to stem the flow of illegal migration and smuggling. Increased control will begin on Wednesday, October 4, and will last for 10 days with the possibility of extension.
In recent weeks, Poland detained 551 illegal migrants on the border with Slovakia, so "this situation forces us to take decisive measures." Therefore, from midnight on October 4, Poland will restore temporary border control on the border with Slovakia, said the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration Mariusz Kaminski. It will be possible to cross the land border only at 11 road or railway crossings. There will also be 11 pedestrian crossings available for EU citizens and their family members.
Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak emphasized that the Polish army will support the border guards on the border with Slovakia. "Soldiers will have the same rights as border guards, including conducting checks. Soldiers of both the operational troops and the Territorial Defense Forces, as well as the engineering troops, were sent to the borders," Blaszczak noted.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic Vit Rakušan wrote: "From October 4, we are temporarily introducing control at the border with Slovakia. This is a necessary measure for the effective fight against groups of smugglers and illegal migration. Checks will be carried out selectively along the entire length of the border with Slovakia in such a way as to restrict cross-border traffic as little as possible and not create an unnecessary burden on transport or passengers. We are taking this step in coordination with Poland, which will similarly monitor its border with Slovakia."
Slovakiaʼs government criticized the move and said it would respond at its meeting on Wednesday, while Slovakiaʼs Prime Minister Ludovit Odor said the problem needed a European solution because it concerned the blocʼs external borders.
Whatʼs going on?
Over the past few months, Slovakia has faced an increase in the number of illegal migrants arriving in the country and on their way to Germany and Western Europe. Migrants, mainly young people from the Middle East and Afghanistan, mainly arrived via the "Balkan route" — from Serbia to Hungary.
Prime Minister Ludovit Odor said it was virtually impossible to close the 655-kilometer border with Hungary, although he ordered up to 500 soldiers to help with police patrols.
Slovakia said in September that the number of detained illegal migrants had risen ninefold to more than 27 000 this year.
Slovak politicians also blame Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for the crisis — he allowed migrants to cross the border to Slovakia in order to support the anti-immigrant politician Robert Fico (his pro-Russian Smer party has already won the parliamentary elections ).