The Slovakian government has decided to extend temporary border controls with neighboring Hungary through January 22, 2024.
This move marks the latest in a series of prolongations of controls first enacted in early October with the stated purpose of curbing irregular migration.
Seeking to Halt Irregular Migration
The extension was passed during a government session on December 6 and is intended to “prevent secondary illegal migration,” according to the approved document.
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok characterized the situation as a “domino effect,” with countries successively tightening borders as their neighbors institute controls.
Slovakia contends that controls implemented thus far have successfully reduced attempted irregular border crossings.
While authorities apprehended 6,809 migrants in October, that figure fell to just 34 in November following the introduction of controls.
Rise in Migrants Transiting Slovakia
Border tightening efforts come amidst a spike in migrants traversing Slovakia in 2023, predominantly originating from the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Most are young men believed to be undertaking secondary movement to reach wealthier Western European nations like Germany after initially entering the European Union (EU) via the Balkan route.
From approximately 5,000 detentions in 2022, Slovakia has logged nearly 40,000 cases so far this year—a nearly tenfold increase.
Officials have raised concerns that such dramatic surges could enable undisclosed security threats to slip across borders alongside bona fide refugees.
Visegrád Countries Institute Tightened Controls
In early October, Slovakia’s move formed part of a coordinated effort among Visegrád countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) to strengthen shared internal EU borders.
All cited aims of filtering irregular migration and improving security.
Slovakia enacted controls just one day after its three partners had introduced analogous measures applicable to their borders with Slovakia.
Germany, Austria Follow Suit
Within weeks, additional central European states, Germany and Austria, had also expanded frontier controls, generating criticism for exacerbating bottlenecks and humanitarian issues.
As an open-border Schengen Area member, Slovakia is only permitted to enact temporary internal border checks under exceptional circumstances laid out in Articles 25 and 26 of the Schengen Borders Code.
Extensions capped at 30 days are allowed if proportional and vital to address serious threats.
However, the total duration is not to surpass six months without special dispensation.
Countries must notify Brussels and fellow Member States at least four weeks in advance of prolongation.
Highest Irregular Arrivals Since 2015
In the first ten months of 2023, EU border agency Frontex logged some 331,600 irregular crossing attempts bloc-wide.
This number represents an 18% year-on-year rise, the steepest such increase since 2015.
Nearly 100,000 of these irregular crossing attempts occurred along the Balkan route transiting Hungary and Slovakia.
With anti-migrant pledges playing a notable role in his campaign, newly re-elected Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has taken a hard line on border security.
However, Interior Minister Eštok conceded that no long-term plan emerged from recent high-level migration discussions in Brussels.
He opined that unilateral national actions could devolve into unproductive “egoistic” behavior without coordination.
Border Controls Create Hurdles for Legitimate Travelers
The expanding use of temporary border checks poses challenges for visitors and immigrants alike when crossing between EU countries.
Those holding Schengen visas allowing short-term tourist or business stays of up to 90 days are most directly impacted.
However, longer-term travelers including digital nomads, students, and migrant families seeking to relocate or reunite also face heightened scrutiny and potential delays at fortified internal borders.
The upcoming 2025 launch of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) risks exacerbating bottlenecks by introducing pre-screening for visa-exempt non-EU nationals.
Reflection of Hardening Immigration Stances
In tandem with asserts clampdowns on irregular migration, the readiness of multiple EU states to trigger exceptional internal border powers signals hardening country-level positions on immigration policies.
The bloc has long struggled to effectively spread asylum seekers equitably via quota systems.
Unilateral moves to strengthen frontiers imply an eroding willingness to collaborate on joint solutions, even among close partners like the Visegrád counties.
This risks aggravating humanitarian issues while illegally entering migrants concentrate at external borders like Greece and Italy or bottleneck at internal checkpoints.
The inauguration of ETIAS in 2025 may further align member-state incentives toward exclusion over inclusion.
Its mandated pre-approval process for all visa-free travelers cuts against the spirit of open internal EU borders enshrined in the Schengen pact.
No End in Sight for Border Controls
As European countries balance migration pressures and security imperatives, temporary internal border controls seem poised to persist in the medium term.
Slovakia’s freshly announced Hungary frontier extension suggests an absence of imminent resolution for the bloc’s latest migration crunch.
Nonetheless, the measured application of Schengen provisions has thus far prevented a collapse into outright chaos.