The Czech government has introduced temporary controls at its borders with Slovakia to prevent illegal migrants from entering the country.

 This was reported by Euractiv.

 The Czech border is being crossed by more and more illegal migrants, most of whom are Syrians arriving in the EU from Turkey.

 "We are experiencing an unprecedented situation from the point of view of illegal migration. Since the beginning of 2022, the police have detained only 11,000 illegal migrants on the territory of the Czech Republic," - reported the Minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Vit Rakušan.

 Along with illegal migration, there is organized crime, such as smuggling, which has also increased recently.

 To solve this problem, the Ministry of Internal Affairs wants to offer a more severe punishment to those who are actively engaged in smuggling.

 "We have exhausted all the standard options," Rakushan said, explaining why the country decided to introduce border controls with Slovakia, its closest ally.

 Most migrants enter the territory of the Czech Republic only to reach neighboring Germany. "This situation caused nervousness even on the German side of the border," Rakushan explained.

 From Thursday (September 29), the Czech police will start a ten-day border control in accordance with the Schengen Code. During this period, further action will be considered, including continued monitoring if necessary.

 The Czech government informed the neighboring countries and the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ilva Johanson about this.

 The government also wants to discuss this issue with its partners in the Visegrad Four - Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, as well as with Austria, the Minister of Internal Affairs said. According to the minister, Austria is also facing an influx of illegal migration.

 "We, as the country that presides over the Council of the EU, call on the European Commission to hold negotiations with all relevant partners, including those that are not members of the EU," Rakushan added, noting that his goal is to keep migration under control.