Slovakia has decided to continue strict border controls, on traffic coming in from Hungary at least until Christmas. The patrols will cost an extra 3 million euros. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok says they are meant to discourage people smugglers.
"Take it as a precautionary measure in view of the situation that exists in the world today, in view of the fact that we have information from our foreign partners that the expected migration waves will be quite large and that is why we, as the Slovak Republic, want to prepare for this situation.’
Jozef Masnica, the director of the border and immigration police office, agrees.
‘When taking measures at borders and prolonging controls, neighboring countries such as Austria, Czech Republic and Poland consider the security situation in the Gaza Strip as a potential source of illegal migration from the Gaza Strip into the European Union.’
According to the data of the Ministry of the Interior, a little over 8,000 migrants were detained last year; but since the beginning of this year there have been 40,000.
In the last few months, there have been fewer illegal migrants. The Ministry says it’s thanks to the border patrols.
But the previous Minister of the Interior disagrees. Roman Mikulec, member of the Slovak Movement, says:
‘The reason there is less illegal migration is not water cannons, government actions on borders or promises that cannot be fulfilled - as Mr Sutaj Estok and his corps have done - but rather the measures of Serbia and common measures of the neighbouring countries.’
Mikulec also thinks the border controls are contrary to the Schengen Code. According to him, the solution is to change the law on the residence of foreigners.
His successor, Sutaj Estok, agrees in part. He says illegal migration is a pan-European problem, and he wants to discuss possible solutions with the V4 ministers or with Germany and Austria.
(RTVS)
