“Krone” interview – Karner on the tent cause: “So nobody hangs out”

„krone“: Anyone who has to pitch tents for refugees at the start of the cold season can only accept the charge of total failure…
Gerard Karner: Those who accuse me of this said in May that I was dramatizing when I warned about the problem of illegal migration and started the action sharply. It was also claimed that it was simply a distraction from other problems. Now it turns out that these were not empty words, but that we have this wave of illegal migration. This measure is necessary to prevent young men from seeking shelter in front of schools or other public places.

The state of Carinthia admits that the rooms are empty, but they are being kept free for Ukrainians. The Neos accuse you of not exercising your right of access here. Why don’t you trade?
This right of access expired at the end of 2018. Herbert Kickl should have extended his position as Home Secretary, but didn’t. We have more than 90,000 people in primary care. Much has been accomplished this year by federal, state, local and NGOs, but now we are at the edge of resilience. As an emergency measure, tents were set up for young men from countries such as India, Tunisia and Morocco. This is the only legal way the federal government can create housing on federal property. The Federal Care Agency arranged this so that no refugees would hang around in local squares, in front of kindergartens or train stations. Germany and the Netherlands do the same.

Why can’t you convince the countries to open empty quarters for refugees from other countries? The photo is devastating…
These people slept in tents and often outside on their way to Europe. There are also many families who have been taking care of Ukrainians for six months. Rising energy costs affect them. That is why more and more Austrian families are asking that the Ukrainian refugees come to the countryside. I can also list places from Ledenitzen to Schärding where quarters failed due to resistance.

Why tents and not containers?
If you study the building regulations, you know that approval for containers takes months and is the responsibility of the responsible municipality. These tents can be set up within minutes. Action must be taken, so the measure was justified. The situation is very dynamic and sometimes dramatic.

But there are less than 1000 Indians in basic services, why is the situation dramatic?
In the summer it was Indians and Tunisians who submitted the most applications. Now it’s Syria and Afghanistan again. There is currently an election campaign going on in Turkey and the pressure is mounting from this side as well. That is why I have a meeting tomorrow with the Greek Minister of Migration. We must end economic refugees and relaunch the EU asylum system.

Mayors feel surprised and curse the minister of their own party. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl just needs to sit back and his poll numbers will soar. Shouldn’t the tent construction have been handled more professionally?
I don’t have to orient myself towards those who lean back or shout loudly. Homelessness should be prevented because it creates the most tension in society. Sometimes politicians only have a choice between plague and cholera. We are doing everything we can to stop the wave. There are more border controls, there are already 32,000 negative decisions due to the accelerated procedures and police cooperation with neighboring countries. Due to intensive negotiations, visa-free travel for Indians and Tunisians in Serbia will end by the end of this year at the latest. Ida Butcher