Austria plans to extend checks on its border with Slovakia until December 12, said Austrian Interior Minister Gergard Karner on Friday. Karner views this measure an essential element of the fight against people-smugglers. According to him, border checks are carried out in close coordination with neighbouring countries. He pointed to the fact that the Czech Republic has extended checks on its border with Slovakia as well. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan on Thursday (November 10) said that the checks would remain in place even after December 13, as the situation concerning people-trafficking has not improved. Prime Minister Eduard Heger and his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala also discussed this topic in Prague. In particular, they discussed solutions to illegal migration across the Czech-Slovak border. Eduard Heger and Petr Fiala also concurred that the external borders of the European Union and the Schengen zone should be strengthened and that protecting the Hungarian-Serbian border is of key importance. At the same time the premiers announced that the two countries wanted to cooperate more intensively in addressing the migration crisis and that they want to help Hungary as well.
Source: TASR
