Prague, Aug 1 (CTK) – Forty Czech police officers left for Macedonia yesterday to help protect the green border with Greece due to the migrant crisis for six weeks, Petr Petrik, deputy police president in charge of economy, has told reporters.
They will replace another group of Czech police who have served in Macedonia since late June.
The government approved the extension of the mission last week.
In Macedonia, patrols are comprised of one Macedonian police and two Czech ones. They mainly move around the town of Gevgelija at the border with Greece, guarding the Schengen border.
The Idomeni largest provisional border camp where thousands of people lived in bad sanitary conditions was on the Greek side of the border with Macedonia until recently. Greece had the camp vacated in May.
Mainly members of riot units who did not have to undergo a special training left for Macedonia, Petrik said.
“They are very well trained for this service so the work at the border will be no problem for them at all,” he added.
The Czech police do not have any special equipment either, they have taken their summer uniforms, truncheons, handcuffs and their guns, he added.
This is a fourth mission of the Czech police in Macedonia.
Previously, the police were driving to Macedonia.
Yesterday, they were flown there aboard a military special plane, which is more advantageous in terms of finances, time and logistics.
Only police officers will rotate in the mission, while the vehicles will stay in Macedonia.
Czech police have left for their tenth foreign mission within their aid to tackle the migrant crisis, Petrik said.
Until the end of last year, they were deployed in Greece, Hungary and Slovenia.
Last week, the government approved that the police would return to Hungary, but the date of their departure has not been set yet.
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