Twenty-one police officers from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland are in Slovenia where they will help authorities strengthen checks at the border with Croatia as part of the fight against undocumented migration.
Twenty-one police officers from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland started on Monday, May 10, helping their Slovenian colleagues to patrol the border with Croatia as part of the fight against undocumented migration.
On hand in Novo Mesto to welcome the police officers from the three European countries were Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and Slovenian General Director of Police Anton Olaj, who personally wished to participate in wishing the officers success in their work.
A decision made a while back
Slovenia's decision to invite police from other European countries to help it protect its border was made a while back.
Interior Minister Hojs said the fact that the country's National Assembly didn't support enacting Article 37a of the law on territorial defense, which would have given the military added powers to protect the border, played an important role in the final decision.
"At the moment it may seem like a decision that goes against the trend with the reduction in the waves of undocumented migration, but no one can rule out the possibility of a situation similar to the one in 2015," Hojs said.
Mission to last six months at most
The work of the current 21 foreign police officers will last for a maximum of six months. More officers from other countries are expected to join them.
Currently, talks are underway with Denmark, Austria and Germany and arrivals are already expected from Hungary and Romania.
Hojs also intends to restore mixed Italian-Slovenian patrols on the western border, and talks in this regard are underway with Italian Interior Minster Luciana Lamorgese. She is expected to visit Slovenia at the end of May or the beginning of June.