Agency Report –
The Czech Republic signalled on Friday that it is open to dialogue with the future German government on migration issues.
A spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Prague said that they are in regular contact with their German colleagues and value the excellent cooperation in the management of the two countries’ shared border.
Germany’s conservative bloc, comprised of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU), struck a deal with the Social Democrats (SPD) on Wednesday to form the next government.
The agreement states that the future coalition “will, in consultation with our European neighbours, carry out rejections at the common borders” including of asylum-seekers.
In response, the spokesman said that the Czech Republic would adhere to the applicable national and European Union legal framework. If Germany were to refuse entry to migrants, the Czech Republic would proceed depending on the legal status of the person in question, he said.
The spokesman also said that the Czech Republic would be prepared to take countermeasures in the event of an increase in irregular migration, including the reintroduction of checks at the internal borders of the visa-free Schengen area, which includes both Germany and the Czech Republic.
He also referred to the planned tightening of asylum law in the Czech Republic. Among other things, the plans include faster deportation of migrants obliged to leave the country, extended security checks, and accelerated asylum procedures. Parliament has yet to approve the plans.
