Prague, Dec 18 (CTK) – Ten years since the Czech Republic joined the Schengen area, during which its border was almost closed and checks were to be reimposed on its border crossings in 2015, amid the migrant crisis, will pass on December 21, immigration police spokeswoman Katerina Rendlova told CTK on Monday.
Amid the transit migration, the police uncovered 3294 foreigners in 2015. In the following two years, the figures were sharply falling, down to 511 detained foreigners last year, Rendlova said.
There is a major difference between the situation in Europe at that time and now, Rendlova said.
Ten years ago, terrorist attacks were not as frequent and the continent did not face any migrant crisis as now.
“The times were not as bad then,” Rendlova said.
The work of the immigration office has mainly changed due to the fact that border checks were replaced with checks inside the country, to which the police who had served at the border were moved, Rendlova said.
“No measures will replace the protection that existed before,” she added.
However, the mechanisms of the checks are still so good that no one can stay in the country illegally for long, Rendlova said.
“It can hardly happen that anyone would be here about whom no one knows anything and who would be working, living or existing here in a way without the knowledge of the authorities,” she added.
The worst situation was in 2015, although the main migration route was not leading across the Czech Republic and it was not the country of destination for the refugees, Rendlova said.
At that time, there was the threat that the border checks may be reintroduced, but the government eventually did not take the step.
Instead, the police were ordered by the Interior Minister to increase the number of checks in the border area, especially on the main roads and railways.
This contributed to an improvement in the situation, Rendlova said.
“The migrants knew they could not pass here without being seen or without anyone pretending that they are not seen,” she added.
At present, the statistical figures of transit migration are much lower than before the migrant crisis, Rendlova said.
