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Czechs see more border checks

Travelers to Austria, Germany encounter frequent stops

May 21st, 2008 issue

Czechs traveling through the Schengen area in coming weeks should bring proper identification.

Five months after the Czech Republic’s Dec. 21 accession to the Schengen zone, dozens of locals are complaining about being unfairly targeted by German and Austrian police.
Travelers complain of being subjected to frequent searches, stopped at road checks and required to show their passport for no apparent reason.
“We are aware of these complaints and are monitoring the situation,” said Robert Solich, director of the Interior Ministry Department for Schengen Cooperation.
While the ministry does not have proof that the controls are targeted specifically toward Czechs, Solich said the high rate of complaints and the personal experiences of ministry employees indicate that certain types of vehicles traveling to Germany and Austria were being stopped “very frequently or always.”
“Private bus lines operating between Czech and [German and Austrian cities] are almost always stopped by border police,” he said. “Passengers are asked to show their passports, which is very time-consuming. It takes at least half an hour.”
To determine whether the border controls systematically targeted Czechs, Interior Minister Ivan Langer invited local citizens to report such incidents to the ministry.
In a May 15 reaction, Austrian Interior Minister Günther Platter said the controls were Austria’s internal affair, while Saxony police chief Jörg Michaelis called the heightened security measures a necessary compensation for Schengen enlargement.
“Since the Schengen enlargement, police have increased random checks to compensate for the abolition of border controls,” said Solich. “The Germans will maintain that illegal immigrants often travel on the frequently checked bus lines.”
Separately, free travel to Austria will be suspended June 2–July 1 due to the amount of foreigners traveling to the Euro 2008 soccer championship, when it will only be possible to cross Austria’s border at designated points.
“The reason for these precautions is heightened security requirements,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said May 16.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Jana Malíková added that the precautions will be administered in accordance with European legislation.
Austrian police will only screen travelers during select matches of the championship, she said.


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