Poland extends border control with Slovakia until 2024

Poland’s Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Paweł Széfernaker, has extended the control on the border with Slovakia, introduced to curb migration pressure, for another 30 days—until January 2, 2024.

This was reported by the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs. Authorities allegedly need to extend border controls between Poland and Slovakia to ensure internal security and public order in the face of a serious threat of illegal immigration.

Poland first introduced controls on the border with Slovakia on October 4 as an emergency measure in accordance with the rules of the Schengen area. Poland has extended the controls on the border with Slovakia several times, with the previous extension until December 3.

Enhanced checks in the Schengen area can last no more than two months, so authorities may suspend them after January.

In total, almost half of the 27 EU member states have resumed temporary checks at their internal borders in recent months, which is a deviation from the normal visa-free travel regime in the Schengen area, in response to the migrant crisis.

Some EU governments are concerned that the growing pressure from the so-called Balkan migration route from Serbia to Hungary requires a tougher response from the region.

Starting October 4, Poland and the Czech Republic introduced enhanced control on the border with Slovakia to curb the flow of illegal migration and smugglers. Polish Interior Minister said Poland has been facing an increase in illegal migration. 

Slovakia has faced a rising number of illegal migrants crossing as they head to Germany and other nations in Western Europe. The migrants, predominantly young men from the Middle East and Afghanistan, mostly came via the so-called Balkan route through Hungary from Serbia.

In late October, Slovakia reinforced border with Hungary with troops to deter migrants. Slovakia’s government has announced the deployment of hundreds of police and military personnel along its border with Hungary to deter illegal migrants.

In late September, German Interior Minister Nancy Feser introduced additional controls on the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic to combat illegal migration.

The German government decided to allocate 18 billion euros to its regions to solve the problem of migrants in the country. Before that, the Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the country should “finally deport on a large scale those who have no right to stay in Germany.”