Mikulec: Screening of Persons Entering Schengen Area Standard Process

Bratislava, March 26 (TASR) - The screening of suspicious persons entering the Schengen area is implemented through standard processes, which are carried out via information systems at the borders, and the case of the detention of a man from Tajikistan in 2022 isn't an isolated situation and was handled in a standard way, former interior minister and MP Roman Mikulec (Slovakia, For the People, KU) said on Tuesday in connection with the results of the meeting of the Security Council on Monday (March 25). Mikulec pointed out that Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) was lying and misleading on this topic. According to Mikulec, Slovak police officers acted exactly as they should have when they detained the man. "This person was detained. He was put into extradition proceedings with Tajikistan," he said, adding that a court later ruled that it wasn't possible to return the man to his country of origin. In the meantime, he applied for asylum and went to Germany, from where he was returned to Slovakia. Mikulec added that the asylum procedure can be conducted under detention and the man was detained. "This is nothing that should constitute a reason to convene the Security Council," stressed Mikulec, noting that the person should have been under surveillance by both Slovakia's security authorities and the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS). Following the meeting of the extraordinary security council, the interior minister pointed out that in 2022 a high-risk and dangerous person entered Slovakia. The man comes from Tajikistan and is a permanent resident of Ukraine. He is currently being held in the Secovce detention camp and extradition proceedings are pending. Sutaj Estok criticised previous governments for allowing an "uncontrollable" flow for all illegal migration. The Security Council decided to take extra precautions at major Easter-related events. Sutaj Eetok pointed out that the terrorist attack in Moscow targeted the Christian community. am/mcs