Czech foreign minister denies claim more migrants being smuggled through Czech Republic

Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek on Friday denied claims that following the closure of the Balkans route there has been a rise in the number of refugees being smuggled through the Czech Republic. According to the German daily Passauer Neue Presse people smugglers are now using the Czech Republic as an alternate route. Since Monday German police are reported to have detained 14 groups of refugees on the Czech-Bavarian border. The Czech foreign minister said no such tendency had been registered and stressed that the Czech Republic was perfectly capable of securing its border against illegal migrants.