Poland has dropped the border checks with Slovakia, permitting control-free entry for everyone crossing the internal border.
The border measure was dropped on Saturday after the authorities concluded that the risk of irregular migration in that area has reduced, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Poland introduced internal border controls with Slovakia on October 4, 2023, and since then, the country has continuously extended the measure.
However, now that there has been a “stabilisation of the migration in the so-called Balkan route and disappearance of the threat of irregular migration”, the Polish Ministry of Interior said that the country will continue to permit free movement.
While there will no longer be controls for people entering Poland through Slovakia, the Polish Ministry of Interior stressed that the authorities will continue to monitor the situation closely.
In case there is a risk of increased irregular migration, the Ministry said that the internal border controls with Slovakia may be resumed.
If the threat increases, control activities at the border [with Slovakia] may be resumed.
End of Border Controls With Slovakia Comes Just in Time for Spring
The ending of the border controls with Slovakia has come just in time for spring break when a high number of people choose to travel from one Schengen country to another.
The decision offers relief for everyone who needs to cross this particular border for the purpose of visiting their loved ones.
Travellers no longer have to think of the waiting times they might face at the border with Poland when entering the country from Slovakia.
This development not only underlines the improved situation along the Poland-Slovakia frontier but also signals a step towards reinforcing principles of free movement within the Schengen Area.
While Poland has decided to facilitate movement with Slovakia, the country just recently said that it wants to strengthen the border controls with Belarus.
In an attempt to improve the country’s and the bloc’s security, the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, said that additional measures need to be taken at the border with Belarus.
Prime Minister Tusk further said that the country has been receiving warnings that Russia is trying to threaten its security through Belarus.
Commenting on the matter, the Ambassador of Estonia to Poland, Miko Haljas, said that the danger from Russia and Belarus should not be underestimated.
The same stressed that the EU should recognise the danger that comes from Belarus, which has Russia as its most important partner.
