ON THE MIGRATION POLICY OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Abstract

Background: Migration is a natural phenomenon not only among various animal species, including humans, but also among plants. It occurs naturally, voluntarily, or is often forced by various circumstances and causes. Under certain circumstances and from a certain perspective, however, it also appears as a socially undesirable phenomenon. Such a view of migration has gradually developed among part of the European public as a result of the negative manifestations of uncontrolled illegal immigration into the European Union. The Slovak Republic, the nation-state of the Slovaks, is historically an open and tolerant society. In the 9th century, the ancestors of today’s Hungarians - whose state still exists in Central Europe - were received relatively peacefully into the territory inhabited by the ancient Slovaks since the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries. Later, colonies of Germans, Rusyns, Roma, and members of other nationalities also formed in Slovakia. Conclusion: The Slovaks’ rich and instructive experiences with immigration remain part of their cultural heritage to this day. This is reflected in the intent, direction, and content of the Slovak Republic’s current state migration policy. From the perspective of Slovak citizens, this particularly concerns its practical security, legal, cultural, and religious aspects.