Slovakia steps up vigilance along its border with Hungary

The Slovak government has extended its border controls until November 23. 

The government in Bratislava decided on similar measures by neighbouring Poland and the Czech Republic along their borders with Slovakia, Brussels Times reports.

On Thursday, Poland announced it would be extending its border controls until 22 November. These were initially put into place in early October as an effort to combat illegal immigration through its Slovak neighbour. The Czech Republic made an identical decision on Wednesday.

The new Slovak government, comprising two social democratic parties and a nationalist party, has pledged to prioritise the fight against human trafficking.

Two million euros will be invested to ensure the continued controls on the Hungarian border, the government announced on Thursday.

On Monday, it had already deployed hundreds of additional police and troops to its border with Hungary to combat increasing illegal immigration.

Since the start of the year, over 46,000 undocumented migrants have been detected at Slovakia’s borders, according to newly-appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico.