Slovak police officers check a van at the Nové Mesto - Sátoraljaújhely border crossing on October 5, 2023. (source: TASR)
Border checks introduced by Slovakia’s neighbouring countries will not end this weekend. Instead, Austria, Poland and Czechia all decided to extend the checks by 20 days.
Austria said that the extension would last until November 2 due to increased illegal migration.
“The police must be faster than smugglers, who change routes immediately if their business is disrupted,” said Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
However, the Austrian liberal politician Niki Scherak from the NEOS party criticised the Austrian government’s decision, the public broadcaster ORF wrote.
Czechia and Poland made the same decision.
“The results are good, the effects are clear. There will be no illegal migration routes through Poland,” said Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński.
On Sunday, parliamentary elections will take place in Poland. The current government has been using anti-immigration rhetoric to convince people to vote for the ruling party Law and Justice, a conservative nationalist party.
Border checks initially started on October 4 and were meant to last until October 14.
Slovakia extended border checks with Hungary to November 3. The government said that the number of illegal migrants has decreased since their reintroduction, from 2,496 to 1,929 illegal migrants in one week.
