Slovakia and Austria dismantle human trafficking networks

Slovak Interior Minister Ivan Simko met his Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner in Vienna on Monday. He praised the cooperation with Austria in curbing illegal migration and highlighted the successful joint operations to dismantle human trafficking networks. The final destination for most migrants is Germany. Simko emphasized that Slovakia is a transit country, and therefore, it is important to address the issue of migration primarily at the European level. The minister added that migration is not a security problem for Slovakia. So far, there have been no serious incidents or crimes related to migrants. Up to 96 percent of illegal migrants in transit have reached Slovakia via the Western Balkan route this year. Up to 95 percent of them were Syrians, followed by Turks and Bangladeshis.  A total of 84 people were charged with smuggling in Slovakia in the first five months of this year. Most of them came from Syria, followed by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
 
Source: TASR