The Czech Republic will extend random checks at the border with Slovakia for an additional 20 days, hence, the measure will stay in effect until November 2, Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan announced on Wednesday. The checks were reintroduced by Prague as of October 4 and were originally slated to last until Friday, October 13.
Subsequently, Slovakia introduced checks at its border with Hungary, which were extended on Wednesday until November 3. The measure is meant to reduce the number of irregular migrants transiting via Slovakia to reach other EU countries. According to the Interior Ministry, the checks are a preventive measure. Since their re-introduction, a decrease in irregular migration from Hungary to Slovakia has been recorded.
Slovakia opted to reintroduce checks on its southern border on October 5, doing so after its three neighbours - Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland - decided to introduce the same measure on their respective borders with Slovakia.
(TASR)
