During the late night hours on the border between Poland and Slovakia, authorities stopped a chase involving a Moroccan man who held a German residence permit. He was transporting nine Syrians who did not have the right to enter Poland. The suspect attempted to cross illegally into Poland near Zwardoń. Border guards reported the incident as part of ongoing enforcement on the frontier.
Checks at the border with Slovakia
In the last 24 hours, border authorities say nearly 6,000 people and more than 2,000 vehicles were checked at the Poland-Slovakia boundary. Several dozen migrants were detained since Wednesday, including five during train inspections and nine after the chase. Since Wednesday, crossings are allowed only at designated points. Anyone entering Poland is subject to random checks, and travelers should carry a valid travel document such as an identity card or passport.
The border guard spokesperson noted that in the first day of heightened checks, more than 5,800 people and over 2,200 vehicles were processed at the border with Slovakia. The largest groups checked were Polish nationals, nearly 2,800, followed by Slovaks at about 2,055 checks. Around 150 Ukrainians and roughly the same number of Czechs and other nationalities were also screened at the point of entry.
Controls have resumed due to rising migratory pressure along the Balkan Route, one branch of which passes through Slovakia. Since the start of the year, the Polish Border Guard has detained more than 1,670 individuals at this border who lacked the right to enter Poland.
Pursuit of the Moroccan
From the resumption of checks through Thursday morning, several migrants were detained at the Slovakia border. On Wednesday, officers from the Silesian Border Guard arrested five Syrian nationals during a train inspection. The unit’s spokesman explained that these individuals likely crossed the so-called green border and boarded a Polish train using documents valid on the Slovak side. They will be transferred to Slovakia under the readmission procedure.
On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, a bus was stopped after a chase in which a Moroccan with a German residence card was transporting nine Syrians who did not have permission to enter Poland. The spokesman noted that the driver failed to stop for inspection. Guards pursued the vehicle, stopped it, and the driver fled on foot, eventually falling and injuring a leg. He was taken to hospital and will face charges for aiding illegal migration. The Syrians in the bus were handed over to Slovak authorities as part of the takeover process.
The situation on the Balkan route
The Border Guard spokeswoman emphasized that the initial effects of renewed controls are visible at the Slovakia border.
Observers will monitor migration patterns as routes shift. Slovakia has indicated that several thousand migrants who crossed the Hungarian-Slovak frontier may be on its soil, seeking alternative paths.
Lieutenant Michalska added that border controls were also reintroduced by the Czech Republic on its Slovakia border, and by Slovakia on its border with Hungary. Austria maintains checks at its borders with Hungary, Slovenia, and Slovakia, while Germany conducts checks on its border with Austria.
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[Citation: wPolityce]
Source: wPolityce