Austria bringing in random controls on border with Czechia

Austria is to introduce spot checks on its border with Czechia from midnight on Tuesday. The news was announced by the Czech minister of the interior, Vít Rakušan. It follows a similar move by the German authorities, which began random controls on the country’s border with Czechia on Monday evening, initially for 10 days but with the option of a two-month extension.

Mr. Rakušan said Austria’s move had been expected, and pointed out that it had already introduced such controls on its borders with other states.

The Czech minister said Central European Countries were responding to people smugglers and insufficient protection of the EU’s external borders.