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Bratislava/Brussels – The Minister of Interior SR Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas-SD) attended the first meeting of the EU Council for Internal Affairs this year on Wednesday. The meeting focused on the current state of the Schengen area, return policy, border controls, and security cooperation. TASR was informed of this by the press department of the Ministry of Interior.
The beginning of the meeting focused on the Schengen barometer, which describes the state of the Schengen area. This time, the report primarily addressed the situation at the internal Schengen borders, which continue to be a challenge.
“Practice clearly shows us where we are successful, but also where we have room for improvement. However, I must say that based on the Schengen assessment, Slovakia is properly fulfilling its commitments and, in some measures, we are among the best,” noted Šutaj Eštok.
The EU Council on Wednesday adopted recommendations aimed at increasing the effectiveness of return mechanisms for illegal migrants and emphasized the need for better coordination between member states. Slovakia called for a more active role of the European Commission in establishing partnerships with third countries.
Ministers also discussed progressive procedures for launching the Entry/Exit system, in which persons entering the EU from third countries will be registered. Another part of the meeting was cooperation with Latin American countries in combating drug trafficking and organized crime.
“Such regional cooperation leads to improved detection and investigation of cases, limits the possibilities of perpetrators of criminal activity to find a safe haven in any of our region’s countries,” added Šutaj Eštok.
The talks also covered current security challenges in relation to the change of regime in Syria. Ministers agreed that the situation in Syria remains complicated and unclear, and therefore it is necessary to closely monitor all risks. At the same time, it will be necessary to use all available tools thoroughly, protect external borders, and address possibilities for returns to Syria, the minister’s office added.
The minister also had a bilateral meeting with the deputy of the Czech Minister of the Interior Lukáš Hendrych during the council session. They discussed secondary transit migration, which was triggered by the introduction of border controls by the CR. Compared to 2023, Slovakia records almost a 95-percent drop. (March 5)
“Practice clearly shows us where we are successful, but also where we have room for improvement. However, I must say that based on the Schengen assessment, Slovakia is properly fulfilling its commitments and, in some measures, we are among the best.” Matúš Šutaj Eštok.