Prague, Oct 29 (CTK) – Fifty Czech police officers yesterday left for Hungary to help it guard the Schengen border for one month and their mission will cost the country about 10 million crowns.
The participants were chosen from 400 police officers from all parts of the country who wanted to join the mission.
The knowledge of languages and experience with international cooperation were among the main qualities the participants should have, said Police President Tomas Tuhy who met the policemen before their departure, along with Interior Minister Milan Chovanec.
Tuhy said this mission was in fact a new experience for the police because it was their first mission of its kind.
The Czech police unit’s commander Marek Hruska said traffic, foreigner, criminal and patrol police were represented in the unit as well as specialists for verifying IDs and doctors.
The unit’s work in Hungary will begin on Friday, October 30.
The Czech police will guard the border in three areas near the town of Szeged. They will patrol the border along with a Hungarian soldier and police officer and they will work under the Hungarian command.
“All will proceed in coordination of the Hungarian police,” Tuhy said.
On Monday, the Czech government should approve the sending of 20 police officers to Slovenia.
Twenty Czech soldiers have been in Hungary since mid-October. They are mainly drivers and equipment staff. The Czech military has also provided ten field kitchens, a vehicle to transport containers and another one to serve as a movable engineering workshop for Hungary.
Along with Greece and Italy, Hungary is the main entry through which the refugees are flocking to the EU. According to estimates, over 330,000 refugees have gone through Hungary since early October, while others are still coming.
After Hungary built a fence at its border with Serbia and introduced stricter rules related to migrants in September, the wave of refugees moved to Croatia. Last week, Hungary closed its border with Croatia, too, and the refugees started moving to Slovenia.
