Shutting down the borders due to the influx of illegal migrants to Slovakia wouldn't be a functional solution, the Interior Ministry press department told TASR after its meeting with representatives of towns and villages near Velky Krtis (Banska Bystrica region) on Tuesday.
The Slovak-Hungarian border stretches across more than 650 kilometres and its shutdown would constitute an inefficient use of resources and personnel. What should be key instead is to put the emphasis on the fight against human trafficking and set up registration stations outside of populated areas. "Foreigners who illicitly cross the state border shouldn't be allowed to stay in place for more than 24 hours," stated the department.
During the meeting, mayors discussed additional potential measures to alleviate the pressure on villages in the district and the town of Velky Krtis. "The police are currently overstretched due to insufficient capacities. The issue of deploying the Slovak Armed Forces is currently in the pipes," said Interior Ministry state secretary Martin Kralovic.
President Zuzana Caputova reported on social media that Premier Ludovit Odor is set to present measures reacting to the migration crisis in Southern Slovakia on Wednesday, adding that she fully endorses the proposals. "The Prime Minister informed me about measures being prepared to increase public security and reduce the number of illegal migrants crossing our territory," wrote the President. Tuesday's meeting between the President and Premier was also joined by Foreign Minister Miroslav Wlachovsky.
The Interior Ministry stated that four million persons have been displaced from Syria, with the overall transit migration through Slovakia recording a year-on-year increase of more than 900 percent, from about 3,000 apprehensions in January-September 2022 to 27,634 apprehensions.
(TASR)
