Slovakia has decided to extend its internal border controls with Hungary for another month, until December 23.
Announcing the news, the Ministry of Interior said that the measure has been extended in response to a surge in migration along the Western Balkans route, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
In support of the extension of this measure, the Minister of Interior of Slovakia Matúš Šutaj Eštok emphasised the need to combat organised criminal groups involved in people smuggling.
He stressed that the border controls will make it possible to prevent any irregular movement.
Despite the fact that we have recorded a decrease in the number of detained persons who have an unauthorised stay in our territory, we want to continue our vigorous approach to all smugglers and thus continue to send a signal that they will not easily pass through our territory.
Minister Eštok further said that by keeping measures in place, the country wants to ensure the safety of all of its citizens as well as prevent entry of anyone who might pose a security risk.
In addition, the Minister notes that the extension of the border controls with Slovakia is also in response to developments in Serbia, where more than 6,000 migrants have been detained, along with people suspected of smuggling and other criminal activities.
Slovakia initially implemented temporary border controls with Hungary on October 5 of this year, following similar measures by Poland, Austria, and Czechia, and since then, the country has been extending them due to the ongoing migration situation.
Data provided by the Slovak Ministry of Interior shows that from January 1 to November 19, 2023, the country authorities have detained a total of 47,443 individuals who attempted to enter the country irregularly.
Moreover, data show that last week alone, a total of 30 irregular migrants were detained, emphasising the importance of the border measures.
As for the period during which measures were being applied, the Ministry said that since October 5, the authorities have denied the entry of 80 individuals, of which 50 were Syrians and 30 were Turks.
Slovakia is not the only country that is currently keeping internal border controls in place. In addition to Slovakia, ten other Schengen Member States, including Austria, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Czechia, Slovenia, and Poland, implement internal border controls.