Poland mulls tightening controls on border with Slovakia: Report

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) - Poland is considering tightening controls along its border with Slovakia, local media reported on Monday.

The Polish Border Guard said that the border is porous and enables illegal migrants to reach Poland via the Balkan route.

“For over a month we have been observing an increase in the inflow of illegal immigrants from Slovakia,” broadcaster Polsat News quoted Anna Michalska, spokeswoman for the Border Guard, as saying.

“We cannot in any way hinder these internal controls in the EU. The only thing we can do is check the legality of stay and checks on access roads to the border, and we are doing that. But these are just random checks,” Michalska said.

The Border Guard has detained 544 illegal immigrants on the border with the Czech Republic and Slovakia so far this year, compared to 122 in the same period of last year, she said.

Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski will soon announce the decision to strengthen controls, according to Polsat News.