Slovakia has announced the temporary border controls on its border with Hungary will now be extended until November 3 at least. The controls were initially meant to last ten days when they were installed on October 5.
Slovakia is still being ruled by a caretaker government following elections at the end of September. Now that caretaker government has approved extending controls on the country's border until at least November 3 due to an increase in the numbers of migrants attempting to cross from Hungary without papers, reported the news agency Reuters.
Also read: Slovakia border controls tighten since elections
Slovakia, along with several of its neighbors, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria, announced at least ten days of border controls starting around October 5. With the deadline for that initial control about to expire, Slovakia has said unilaterally that the controls will now last longer.
According to government data, reported by Reuters, the numbers of migrants entering Slovakia has risen 11-fold to nearly 40,000 this year. Most of those crossing into Slovakia tend to come from countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and from Afghanistan.
Border controls result in a drop in detentions
A statement on the Slovak government website confirmed the extension of border controls: "Given the problem with illegal migration continues …, it is proposed to continuously extend the temporary renewal of internal border controls with Hungary from October 15 to November 3, 2023."
Also read: Border checks back in several European countries
The document also said, reported Reuters, that authorities had seen a drop in the numbers of migrants being detained in Slovakia once the controls had begun.
Slovakia, like its neighbors Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Germany, is part of the free-movement Schengen zone.
Under the rules of that zone, borders are meant to allow for free movement and trade for members of the European Union and all those with the correct papers to cross the borders.
The Schengen Treaty typically allows only for temporary suspensions of this free movement; however, since 2015, various EU countries have periodically re-imposed checks and controls within the zone to try to control irregular crossings.
With Reuters and dpa