Author
According to the report published by Refugee Rights Europe and The End Pushbacks Partnership, pushbacks at the borders of Slovakia with Ukraine have been occurring since 2009, despite not garnering much attention.[1] The Human Rights League (HRL) is unable to estimate the exact number of pushbacks having occurred; however, the organisation has been made aware of numerous pushback cases continuously over the years through legal counselling sessions.
Before 24 February 2022, people seeking to enter the EU from Ukraine were typically intercepted by border guards operating at the Slovak-Ukrainian border, who routinely ignored asylum requests. Individuals, therefore, kept being readmitted to Ukraine without an opportunity to claim asylum in the EU. The pushbacks were usually conducted under the readmission agreement with Ukraine. In 2021, there were 89 foreigners who were returned to Ukraine based on the readmission agreement.[2] On the contrary, during the years 2022,[3] 2023,[4] 2024[5] and 2025,[6] there were, in total,16 readmissions from Slovakia to Ukraine.
Immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, anyone coming from Ukraine could enter the Slovak territory through the Slovak-Ukrainian border crossings. If a person did not meet the conditions for entry set by the Schengen Border Code, entry to the Slovak territory was allowed based on humanitarian grounds according to Article 6/5/c) of the Schengen Border Code. In 2025, entry to Slovakia based on humanitarian grounds has been granted to third-country nationals who do not meet the conditions for entry only if it is the first time they are entering the Schengen zone after the start of the war on 24 February 2022. Despite the special regime for crossing the Slovak-Ukrainian border, the HRL has been made aware of several cases in which the border guards refused to register the asylum application made at the border crossings. In September 2023, the HRL was contacted by a Belarusian citizen who was at that time residing in Ukraine and decided to apply for asylum. Despite the fact that the border police were informed in advance about the date and approximate time of arrival at the Slovak-Ukrainian border crossing Ubľa – Malij Bereznij and his intention to submit the asylum application, when he arrived at the border crossing point on 5 September 2023, at first the border police refused to accept his application for international protection. Only after the HRL contacted the UNHCR Slovakia, who intervened at the Directorates of Border and Foreign Police Prešov, was his asylum application accepted.
Border monitoring
In the past, border monitoring was carried out on the basis of a tripartite agreement between BBFP PFP, UNHCR, and an NGO. From January 2008 until the end of August 2009, the AMAS (Access Management and Support Project) was implemented under a tripartite agreement entitled the “Memorandum of Understanding, Mutual Cooperation and Coordination Aimed at Supporting the Access of Asylum Seekers to the Territory of the Slovak Republic and to the Asylum Procedure” between the BBFP PFP, UNHCR, and the HRL. The objective of the project was to monitor whether persons falling under UNHCR’s mandate were able to enter the territory of the Slovak Republic, whether they had access to the asylum procedure, whether they had access to free legal assistance, and whether the principle of non-refoulement was respected.
At present, border monitoring is conducted solely by UNHCR. From March 2022 until the end of 2024, regular UNHCR border monitoring was conducted on the Slovak–Ukrainian border on a weekly basis. In 2025, such monitoring was carried out on a monthly basis. Based on agreement and with the consent of the BBFP PFP, the border monitoring is conducted through a combination of announced and unannounced visits to the relevant border police departments, the respective police directorates and NGOs (particularly the Slovak Humanitarian Council (SHC)), operating at the border. It was carried out primarily through discussions with police officers and staff of NGOs, focusing on findings related to current trends in cross-border movements, profiles of incoming foreigners, the functioning of referral mechanisms between the police and NGOs, needs for further support and related issues.
Legal access to the territory
Slovakia does not provide any humanitarian visa specifically for the purpose of applying for international protection. The only exception applies to family members of persons granted international protection in Slovakia. Family members of refugees granted asylum or foreigners provided with subsidiary protection have a right to be granted a national (type “D”) visa if they do not threaten the state security or public order.[7] (See also Family Reunification)
In 2025, Slovakia did not have any resettlement operations in place.
In December 2015, Slovakia relocated on a voluntary basis 149 internally displaced Iraqi (Assyrian Christians) from the refugee camp in Erbil, Iraq, who had been facing in their country of origin a serious risk of persecution based on their religion.[8] The list of relocated persons was approved by the Slovak Minister of the Interior and the Prime Minister. In January 2016, all of them were granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. MO closely cooperated with the Roman Catholic Church, Diocese of Nitra and NGO Pokoj a dobro – Aid to Refugees on their relocation and subsequent integration in Slovakia. As of 1 February 2019, 58 relocated Iraqis remain living in Slovakia.[9]
In August 2021, after the fall of Kabul, Slovakia evacuated 24 persons from Afghanistan, out of which 16 were Slovak citizens with their family members, and 8 were Afghan citizens that were supporting Slovakia and other allies.[10] All evacuated foreigners have undergone standard asylum proceedings with different outcomes.
In 2025, Slovakia did not have any relocation operations in place.
[1] Refugee Rights Europe, Pushbacks and Rights Violations at Europe’s Borders, 2020, available (in English) here, 53-54.
[2] BBFP PFP, Štatistický prehľad legálnej a nelegálnej migrácie cudzincov na Slovensku za rok 2021, 2022, available (in Slovak) here.
[3] BBFP PFP, Štatistický prehľad legálnej a nelegálnej migrácie cudzincov v Slovenskej republike za rok 2022, 2023, available (in Slovak) here.
[4] BBFP PFP, Štatistický prehľad legálnej a nelegálnej migrácie cudzincov v Slovenskej republike za rok 2023, 2024, available (in Slovak) here.
[5] BBFP PFP, Štatistický prehľad legálnej a nelegálnej migrácie cudzincov v Slovenskej republike za rok 2024, 2025, available (in Slovak) here.
[6] BBFP PFP, Štatistický prehľad legálnej a nelegálnej migrácie cudzincov v Slovenskej republike za rok 2025, 2026, available (in Slovak) here.
[7] Article 15(2) Act on Residence of Foreigners.
[8] EMN, Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Programmes in Europe – What Works?, 2016, available here.
[9] Pokoj a dobro – pomoc ľdom v núdzi, Integračný projekt komunity irackých azylantov, available (in Slovak) here.
[10] HN Online.sk, Ako prebiehala slovenská evakuácia z Afganistanu? Naši vojaci museli použiť zbrane, popísal Naď, available (in Slovak) here.