A few weeks after the extension of the current border controls on the border with Slovakia, the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior announced the reintroduction of controls at the border checkpoints with other countries.
According to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the internal borders with Slovenia and Hungary in the period from November 12, 2022, to May 11, 2023, can only be crossed by land transport through border crossing points to ensure public order and security.
Let us recall that Austria decided to reinstate border controls with Slovakia at the end of September, initially for 10 days, then extended it until December 12 this year.
Controls at the Czechian border checkpoints with Slovakia were introduced from September 29. And, according to the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, more than 1,100 incidents of illegal border crossing were detected, and 422 migrants were denied entry from that day forth and until October 3.
Border controls were introduced in connection with an increase in the number of illegal migrants trying to get through the Slovak border to Austria, the Czech Republic and further to Germany. Border officials also detected cases of smuggling, and in some situations coercive measures had to be employed to apprehend law breakers.