Migration routes now avoiding Slovakia

Migration routes through which refugees are travelling to Western Europe appear to have diverted away from Slovakia, with refugees no longer illegally crossing Slovakia's southern border with Hungary, Border and Foreign Police Office director Ľudovít Bíró announced on Tuesday. Speaking at an international conference on migration issues, Bíró said that a drop in the movement of migrants entering Slovakia is due to Hungary's tightening of legislation and closing its southern borders. The number of refugees intercepted at the Slovak-Hungarian border has been decreasing ever since. According to Bíró, the situation in Slovakia shouldn't change in the foreseeable future. Even though Germany also tightened its laws and declared that it has started to transfer migrants, which haven't been assigned asylum. "So far, there hasn't been a scenario of some of those [rejected asylum seekers from Germany] showing any interest in coming to Slovakia", stated Bíró, adding, however, that it can't be ruled out in the future. Representative of German Federal Police Rico Reuschel said at the conference that around 600,000 refugees have come to Germany since September. They expect this number to increase to 1 million by the end of this year. "We've around 300,000 asylum seekers predominantly coming via the Western Balkans that have been rejected and will have to be returned to their countries of origin, which might be complicated", said Reuschel. Slovakia's status as a purely transit country continues to be affirmed. Interior Ministry Migration Office deputy-director Ivan Slezák said that only 146 persons had been granted international protection in Slovakia as of October 13.