Prime Minister Fiala believes that the current number of illegal border crossings is not high enough to warrant the establishment of border checks. He instead believes that the focus should be on stopping specific migration routes and on adjusting policies that are in place when it comes to returning migrants to their home countries.
The Prime Minister’s statement follows recent calls from interior ministers from the states of Saxony and Brandenburg in neighbouring Germany for the setting up of border checks.
The Prime Minister’s stance is in line with the European Commission’s position that the Schengen Area should remain open and that the focus should be on tackling the root causes of migration. The Commission has also called for increased cooperation between member states in order to ensure the effective return of migrants who have entered the Schengen Area illegally.