Sutaj Estok: I'll Do My Utmost to Prevent Illegal Migration

Bratislava, 9 March (TASR) - Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) thinks that the conflict in the Middle East is creating pressure for another potential migration crisis, agreeing with Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) that the state must prepare for this dimension of the situation. In a video posted on social media on Monday, Sutaj Estok declared that he'll do his utmost to prevent illegal migration and to protect Slovakia's borders. "For me, the safety of Slovak citizens always comes first. Just as in the past, I'll do my best to protect our borders and prevent illegal migration. Situations like these show that Slovakia must be prepared for a world that is changing extremely quickly, and this makes it all the more urgent to raise the topic of updating Slovakia's security strategy," stated the minister. Sutaj Estok also said that the conflict in Iran doesn't only have security consequences, but economic ones as well. He pointed to rising energy prices, for example. "At the same time, it's causing serious complications for our citizens trying to return from abroad. That's why we launched repatriation flights as of last Tuesday [3 March], thanks to which we've already managed to bring hundreds of Slovaks back home," he said. In addition, the minister commented on the Christian Democrats' (KDH) decision to rule out cooperation with Voice-SD. He believes that by this move, the Christian Democrats have aligned themselves with the politics of Progressive Slovakia (PS). "That is, with politics that are in direct conflict with the values that the Christian Democrats have long espoused," he said. ko/df