Slovakia slams Czech decision to reintroduce border controls

The Slovak prime minister, Eduard Heger, has criticized the Czech authorities for reinstating controls at the border with Slovakia due to a sharp increase in illegal migration. Mr. Heger said the decision had come without warning and needed to be discussed at EU level.

The border controls, announced by Prime Minister Petr Fiala earlier this week, will be in place as of Wednesday night. 500 police officers and 60 customs officers will be deployed to protect the border and people will only be allowed to pass through official crossing points. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan has said the move is temporary and will be evaluated in 10 days’ time.