Slovaks no longer obliged to report stays abroad

Slovaks will no longer be obliged to report to the authorities temporary stays abroad of over 90 days. On Thursday, the Parliament approved an amendment to the law on reporting the stays of Slovak citizens and registering the Slovak population. It was proposed by the MPs of the opposition Freedom and Solidarity party and changes the obligation into a right. Moreover, it is the first proposal submitted by the opposition which the parliament had adopted in this electoral term. The obligation to report a stay abroad triggered public discussion in the past, with the Interior Ministry being accused of monitoring people. Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák claimed that such opinions were political demagogy. He stressed that the move wasn't about bullying or being a bureaucratic burden but about the state being able to communicate with its citizens when they are abroad.