Prague/Brno, Sept 14 (CTK) – The measures Germany and Austria have taken on their borders do not resolve the migration issue, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said after a government meeting yesterday and added that the outer border of the Schengen area must be secured.
He said the Czech Republic will support measures to protect the European border at a meeting of the EU interior ministers to be held in Brussels this afternoon.
“At the moment, the fact that the outer Schengen border does not function and that the EU has tolerated the fact that the countries situated on the outer Schengen border are unable to fulfil the duties that they assumed is being solved in the middle of Europe,” Sobotka said.
He mentioned Greece which, he said, was not capable of securing its border.
Sobotka said the Czech Republic has reinforced patrols along the southern part of its border.
“If need be, we will reinforce them with further sources. We also have set aside a military capacity that could interfere if needed,” Sobotka said.
He said Czech police liaison officers operate in Hungary and Austria and that is why Prague has information about what is happening in these two key countries.
Sobotka said Germany’s decision to reintroduce checks on its border with Austria does not threaten the border of the Schengen area.
“Schengen would disintegrate if Europe lost its ability to regulate migration on its outer border and if we failed to reach agreement on measures that make it possible to enforce the rules and regulation of illegal migration that is a problem of the whole European Union,” Sobotka said.
The Czech interior and foreign ministers will defend the former stand of the Czech Republic that includes the rejection of mandatory refugee quotas at yesterday’s meetings on the EU level.
“We are ready to support all feasible measures that the European Commission proposes and that can provide for regulation still on the outer border of the Schengen area,” Sobotka said.
He said Europe must start to act very quickly. It must ensure the establishment on the outer border of the EU of centres capable of discerning between people fleeing from war and economic migrants and to treat them with dignity.
