Author
During 2025, a total of 146 third-country nationals were placed in detention in Slovakia. Detention is carried out in two specialised facilities for third-country nationals, namely the Police Detention Facility for Foreigners (ÚPZC) in Sečovce and the Police Detention Facility for Foreigners (ÚPZC) in Medveďov, with a combined capacity of approximately 376 places. These facilities are used for the detention of irregular migrants, applicants for international protection, as well as third-country nationals for whom expulsion has been ordered by a criminal court in criminal proceedings.
Under Slovak law, the authority responsible for ordering detention is the Police Force, specifically the Border and Foreign Police Directorate of the MoI. Detention decisions are administrative decisions issued by police authorities in accordance with the Act on Residence of Foreigners, subject to judicial review by administrative courts.
Detention does not, as such, affect the procedural course of the asylum procedure. The MO does not prioritise or accelerate the examination of applications solely on the basis that the applicant is detained, and the same procedural guarantees formally apply as in cases of applicants who are not deprived of liberty. The main impact of detention therefore relates to reception conditions rather than to the substance or timing of the asylum procedure itself. Detained applicants remain subject to the specific material conditions and practical limitations inherent in detention, including restricted freedom of movement and dependence on the authorities for access to services.