Prague, Oct 29 (CTK) – The Czech Republic will send 20 police officers to Slovenia soon to help it cope with the migrant wave and guard the Schengen border and Interior Minister Milan Chovanec will present this decision to the government on Monday.
The police are to stay in Slovenia at least until mid-December.
“Based on a bilateral agreement with Slovenia, we decided to send 20 police officers… It is far better to protect the Slovenian border than to build a fence between Slovenia and Austria,” Chovanec said yesterday.
He said he believes that the Czech police should operate at the border between Croatia and Slovenia longer than until the end of the year.
The mission will cost 3.5 million crowns. The police should leave for Slovenia this or next week.
Czech Chief-of-Staff Josef Becvar said yesterday the Czech Republic might send several dozens of soldiers with equipment to Slovenia to help it cope with the migrant crisis.
Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky said last week that a medical team, trucks or a field kitchen might be sent to Slovenia.
At present, Slovenia and Austria are the transit countries for a majority of the refugees who mostly head for Germany. Over 86,000 people have crossed Slovenia on their way from Croatia westwards since October 16 when Hungary closed its border with Croatia.
($1=24.504 crowns)
