Austria extends border controls with Slovakia for another 30 days until January 26. This was announced by the Ministry of the Interior on Friday afternoon. Austria follows with this step neighboring Czech Republic, which on Wednesday also decided to extend identity checks at the border with Slovakia by 30 days
Department head Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) called the measure necessary because otherwise the “smuggling mafia” would react immediately and divert their routes to Austria. Border controls with Slovakia have been in effect since late September. Since then, according to the ministry, 19 people smugglers have been apprehended at the border and more than 800 people have been stopped from crossing the border illegally.
The Czech government decided on Wednesday to expand controls at the border with Slovakia. These will continue until January 25, 2023, but to a lesser extent than before. This was announced by the Czech Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Vit Rakusan after a government meeting.
Czech Republic: “right measure”
“The checks are ongoing, but they will be random checks now,” said Rakusan, according to which the number of soldiers and officials deployed has already fallen to a third of its original level. Rakusan defended border controls as the “right thing to do”, evidenced by the falling number of migrants arriving through the Balkans. Since the end of September, when the Czech Republic started to control the border with Slovakia, the situation has “significantly improved”, according to the interior minister.
Source: Krone
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