Up to 500 soldiers will be dispatched to the Slovakian border with Hungary to help the border police, according to Prime Minister Ludovit Odour of Slovakia. Recently, there have been more immigrants crossing the border from the other side. The troops assigned to the area, according to the prime minister, will mainly help police register migrants there and help with patrolling towns in the region because it is hard to totally close the country's border with Hungary. This follows the EU member state's observation of an increase in migrants entering Slovakia after passing via neighbouring Hungary. Both nations are thought of as transit hubs for Balkan migrants and refugees who want to travel to wealthier regions of Europe. Since Germany accepted hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, it is a favoured destination for many of the migrants in issue, many of whom are Syrian nationals. "I would like to assure citizens that we are still talking about transit migration," Odor stressed.

Migrant registration up for debate

Slovakia's interior ministry said the number of irregular migrants detained in the country had reached 27,000 to date this year, marking a ninefold increase. Hoping to find a way to address this development, the government has proposed to stop registering migrants who come there. This could -- in theory -- mean that it would not be responsible for migrants who had not registered in another EU state before under the stipulations of the so-called Dublin agreement. The government believes that registering people crossing the border could be a pull factor for some, ensuring they have at least one foot in the European Union, even if they intend to journey further. Nearly all refugees and migrants continue their journeys on to countries in Western Europe, but registering in Slovakia could mean that they have several shots at succeeding in their asylum process.

Upcoming elections

Slovakia is due to hold elections at the end of September, making the rise in migrants in the country also a chief political talking point. Smaller towns in the south of the nation, like Velky Krtis, have observed the spike in migrant populations, with many of them camped out in parks and other public spaces. This might have an impact for the election in these districts because not everyone supports Prime Minister Odor's cautious approach to the immigration discussion. In an effort to lessen the strain on local police agencies, the present administration has promised to assist such towns by sending buses there to transport migrants to other regions of the nation. Additionally, it has promised to enhance services for migrants and refugees, such as food distribution and restrooms.