Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) wants to work more closely with the government in Bosnia and Herzegovina to combat smuggling. He discussed this on Wednesday during a meeting with his counterpart Selmo Cikotić in Vienna.
“Close cooperation with the partners in the Western Balkans in joint action against the smuggling mafia, but also in the implementation of a consistent return policy is crucial for the migration situation and security in Europe,” Karner said afterwards.
Refugees from Pakistan and Morocco
Sarajevo, for example, started the repatriation of refugees from Pakistan and Morocco this year to their countries of origin. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the first country in the Western Balkans to carry out such a forced return to Pakistan, the interior ministry said. The Austrian government will therefore intensify cooperation to jointly combat smuggling.
The initiative for repatriation with the “longstanding and trusted ally” goes back to Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) during his time as Interior Minister. About 75,000 people have applied for asylum in Austria so far this year. More and more refugees come via the so-called Balkan route.
Source: Krone
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