PM Robert Fico, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok and MFA Juraj Blanár during a press briefing at the Čunovo-Rajka border crossing on September 30, 2023. (source: TASR)
“They [transit migrants] came here as if they were on a trip. Nobody was waiting for them at the border,” PM Robert Fico (Smer) told the press during his first visit to the Interior Ministry on Monday.
On that day, Fico and the newly appointed interior minister, Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas), announced an overnight large-scale police operation supposed to “send a clear signal that Slovakia is not safe for the transit of illegal migrants and smugglers”.
The new government has been criticising the previous Ódor administration for its allegedly lax approach to transit migration. Despite increased transit migration in the past year, the number of transit migrants has been falling in recent weeks, in part due to the weather and ongoing checks at the border with Hungary.
Introduced in early October, the border checks should end on November 3. Czechia has already announced that it will extend random checks at the border with Slovakia by 20 days, to November 22.
Last night’s operation did not lead to any big “catch” despite hundreds of police officers, soldiers, equipment, police dogs, drones and vehicles with thermal imaging systems and boats being deployed.
No detained migrants
The police spotted two groups of transit migrants in the districts of Lučenec and Veľký Krtíš, south of central Slovakia, during the night. They did not cross the border after they saw the police.
Still, the minister defends the operation.
“The operation made it clear to illegal migrants, but especially smugglers, that Slovak migration policy is changing,” said Šutaj Eštok.
The recently sacked police chief, Štefan Hamran, said in September that 113,795 police officers would be needed to guard the 517-kilometre green border with Hungary, in addition to millions of euros for the measure. He did not consider border checks to be an effective tool to stop transit migration.
For the recent operation, Slovakia had to borrow equipment from Czechia. Still, PM Fico has said that Slovakia is prepared to act against every wave of transit migration.
“In a short time, we are very worried about a significant worsening of the migration situation,” said Fico on October 30 at the Čunovo-Rajka border crossing.
Fico and Šutaj Eštok cited the war situation in the Gaza Strip.
Opposition and NGOs critical of Fico
The prime minister added that every illegal migrant will be detained if they attempt to cross the border with Slovakia. More than 11 organisations working with refugees have slammed Fico for his statement.
“The detention of foreigners and their placement in police detention units should be bound by the principle of proportionality, and implemented only if other sufficient but less strict coercive measures cannot be effectively applied,” wrote the organisations in their statement.
Opposition leader Michal Šimečka (PS) described the police operation as an expensive “smokescreen” of Fico’s government to divert attention from ongoing purges in the police.
Šutaj Eštok claims that the operation cost €60,000.
More than 46,000 third-country nationals have passed through Slovakia since January of this year.
The interior minister requested the Security Council meeting. He also expressed his wish of going on his first official visit to Hungary, together with Fico, to meet with PM Viktor Orbán.
