Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
Together 25 police officers were sent to help with the migration crisis in Macedonia. They will be part of the third mission in the country, completion of which is scheduled for July 24, the SITA newswire reported.
The management of the border and foreigners police has also discussed with their Macedonian colleagues the possibility to send there police officers for more missions, in September and December.
“The Macedonians have appreciated the professional and effective work of our police officers,” Police Corps Presidium’s spokesperson Denisa Baloghová told SITA. “They evaluated the bilateral cooperation positively, which is proven by agreements on further dispatches.”
The police officers will go also to Greece and Italy in autumn.
Slovak police in Macedonia monitor the borders, but help also with the inland checks. They wear their own uniforms, carry their own equipment and drive Slovak police cars. They, however, follow the Macedonian laws and are accompanied by Macedonian police officers, Baloghová added.
Police officers have also been dispatched to other countries that struggle with the migration crisis, including Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Greece, particularly the Lesbos and Chios islands. They are ready to help also in the future, if there is a need for it, Baloghová told SITA.
“Every police officer who attends these dispatches needs to undergo a strict selection procedure with the aim to be included into the database of foreign units,” Baloghová explained, adding that the selection procedure is supervised by the border and foreigners’ police and the tests are held in English. “After passing the tests they undergo adequate training and preparation depending on the country they will be dispatched to and specific requirements of the host countries.”
