Border controls with the Czech Republic extended by another 20 days

2023-11-16 20:33:00

Austria is extending the border controls with the Czech Republic imposed in mid-October by a further 20 days. The Interior Ministry announced this on Thursday evening. The controls are not only necessary to combat the smuggling mafia, but in the current situation “also an important measure to combat terrorism,” explained Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) in a written statement.

In addition to the border with the Czech Republic, Austria currently also controls the borders with Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. At all other borders there are “intensive controls in the area near the border,” it was emphasized. While the controls with Hungary and Slovenia have been in force since 2015, controls at the Czech and Slovakian borders have only been carried out for comparatively shorter periods of time in the past. The current controls on Slovakia began at the beginning of October, and those on the Czech Republic two weeks later.