Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met in Budapest on Monday for a summit on migration with a view to increasing refugee flows through the Balkan route. In a subsequent statement, they stated that they “wanted to fight illegal migration together”. Nehammer: “As long as the EU does not intervene with efficient measures, we must help ourselves. Hungary and Serbia are important partners for Austria to fight illegal migration together.”
According to the three heads of state, the EU asylum system no longer works and the EU commission has not been active in the field of illegal migration for years. Asylum and migration are increasingly confused and thousands of people come to Europe from countries without residence rights. “That completely defeats the purpose of an orderly asylum and migration policy,” Nehammer complained. Austria therefore called for strengthening EU border protection and thereby depriving smugglers of the business base, as well as for faster procedures and efficient repatriation agreements.
For Austria, the fight against illegal migration is a matter of social and national security. Nehammer thanked Serbia and Hungary for their cooperation, smugglers allegedly take advantage of the suffering of the people here: “This must be stopped.” Nehammer also warned Serbia in particular not to be alarmed by war propaganda, but without addressing Russia specifically.
Border fence in Hungary to be strengthened
Therefore, as an immediate measure, it was agreed that the border fence on the Hungarian-Serb border would be strengthened. It is currently 175 km long and 4 meters high, and is now being extended by 11 km and raised by one metre. Austrian and Czech police officers support the Hungarian police on this border and additional technical equipment in the form of drones and thermal imagers will also be used there. Austria will also support Serbia in the repatriation.
Orban said further meetings would be held that the issue of migration would particularly affect Austria, Hungary and Serbia: “We are affected by illegal migration, it takes time, money and energy.” The situation is getting more and more difficult, the numbers more and more worrying. In view of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, too little attention is paid to the migration problem. Hungary is plagued by migration from both the south and east, in the east as a result of the war in Ukraine. In the south, the route across the Western Balkans is particularly problematic. Collaboration needs a new dimension here, says Orban. He therefore announced further meetings in Belgrade and Vienna, where further concrete steps should be taken.
Serbia’s visa-free status leads to an increase in asylum applications
Vucic explained that Serbia is a poorer country than Austria and Hungary, so the current problems of the energy crisis and migration are especially affected: “I think the coming winter will present us with special challenges.” Serbia is also a first host country for refugees from Ukraine, but also from other countries outside the EU.
From 1 January you will also be confronted with the new EU visa policy. Due to Serbia’s visa freedom, there has been an extreme increase in asylum applications from Tunisians, Turks and Indians in Austria this year. Serbia will therefore adapt its visa rules to EU requirements to reduce pressure on neighboring countries.
Source: Krone
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