Czech Republic Invests in Modern Technology to Prevent Illegal Migration

On 17 September, the Ministry of the Interior in the Czech Republic assured citizens that the country is prepared to protect its borders in the case of crisis.

Since 2015, the ministry has reportedly invested CZK 380.5 million in modern technology and new equipment for the Foreign Police.

As TheMayor.eu reports, the government saw the need for such investments following the 2015 migrant crisis that overwhelmed Europe. According to the Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček, Czechia was unprepared at the time. For this reason, it has now focused on the acquisition of equipment that will guarantee the protection of the country’s borders.

In a press release, the ministry revealed that its investments have resulted in a total of nearly 100 new vehicles and thousands of other equipment. More specifically, the police force can now make use of buses equipped with internal mobile laboratories that detect forged travel documents.

Furthermore, it has acquired heartbeat sensors that make it possible to detect illegal migrants that may be hiding in vehicles. Beyond this, the ministry has invested in various other technologies such as drones and thermal cameras. Commenting on the need for these modern devices, Hamáček shared:

“In 2015, we had almost no modern technology and our readiness was less. Now our equipment and readiness are incomparable. The goal is clear, the situation from the first migration crisis must not be repeated.”

Hamáček went further, highlighting that the current situation is different from that of 2015 as the European Union now agrees that its borders need to be strongly defended. Taking a case in point, there are no more mandatory refugee quotas.

Aside from investing in its own security, Czechia is also helping other countries protect their borders. That is, it has invested CZK 1.1 billion and sent around 2,000 police officers to other nations in the past 6 years.

Understanding that this announcement may evoke feelings of worry in some citizens, Hamáček stressed that there are no signs of a new crisis and that there is no cause for concern at this point.