Slovakia reinstates border control with Hungary

Bratislava justified the measure on the grounds of the need to curb illegal migration. The reintroduction of border checks at the Hungarian border comes a day after the Czech Republic and Poland introduced similar measures at the Slovak border from Wednesday, and Austria later joined them.

Border controls are reintroduced along the entire Slovak-Hungarian border,

The checks will be flexible, i.e. they will be adapted to the current threat, according to a document presented by the Interior Ministry and approved by the government at Wednesday's meeting.

In its explanatory memorandum, the ministry identified the temporary introduction of border controls as a key measure to curb illegal migration. They explained that, as most of the illegal migrants who use Slovakia mainly as a transit country are foreigners who cannot be deported due to administrative constraints and are not targeted for detention, and they will remain in the country if they cannot move on.

According to the Interior Ministry, the number of illegal migrants arriving in Slovakia via the Western Balkan route started to increase significantly in August last year. Between the beginning of this year and now, nearly 40,000 illegal immigrants have entered the country, 11 times more than in the same period last year.

The border control measure, approved by the outgoing Slovak government led by Lajos Ódor on Wednesday, is for the time being for 10 days, but can be extended.

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