Sutaj Estok: Slovakia Meets Schengen Commitments, Ranks Among Best in Some Areas

Brussels, March 5 (TASR) - Slovak Interior Minister and Voice-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok attended the first meeting of the EU Council for Internal Affairs this year on Wednesday, where discussions focused on the Schengen Area, return policy, border controls, and security cooperation. The meeting's introduction focused on the Schengen Barometer, which assesses the state of the Schengen Area. This report primarily addressed the situation at the internal borders of Schengen, which remain 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 evaluation, Slovakia is fulfilling its commitments properly, and in some measures, we are among the best," said Sutaj Estok. The EU Council on Wednesday adopted recommendations aimed at increasing the effectiveness of return mechanisms for illegal migrants and emphasised the need for better coordination among member states. Slovakia called for a more active role from the European Commission in establishing partnerships with third countries. Ministers also discussed the progressive implementation of the Entry/Exit System, which will track individuals entering the EU from third countries. Another part of the meeting focused on cooperation with Latin American countries in the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime. The discussions also covered current security challenges related to the change in regime in Syria. The ministers agreed that the situation in Syria remains complicated and unclear, and therefore, all risks must be closely monitored. In addition to the council meeting, Sutaj Estok had a bilateral meeting with Czech Deputy Interior Minister Lukas Hendrych. They discussed secondary transit migration caused by the introduction of border controls by the Czech Republic, with Slovakia seeing nearly a 95 percent decrease compared to 2023. lin