Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) rejects an extension of Schengen to Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. “The system doesn’t work,” says Karner. So far, 100,000 migrants have been apprehended “as a landlocked country”. Karner continues: “75,000 of them are not registered. Austria is doing this because it is also about the safety of the people in this country.”
If a system doesn’t work, it can’t be made any bigger, Karner stressed. Therefore, “there is a clear no from me as interior minister, responsible for security,” Karner said in the Ö1 “Mittagsjournal” on Friday.
‘More and more European countries rely on control of their national borders’
For Karner, the surveillance of the external borders had failed and that is why more and more European countries rely on control of their national borders, according to the Interior Ministry. In addition to Austria, for example, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden and the non-EU country Norway, which is a member of the Schengen Agreement, would carry out internal border controls.
EU Commission recommends expansion of the border-free Schengen area
The EU Commission on Wednesday recommended expanding the border-free Schengen area to include Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. To be considered part of the Schengen area, states must meet certain criteria, including in the field of police cooperation and the protection of personal data. The Brussels authority called on EU member states to “immediately” allow these three member states “full participation” in the Schengen area. The vote will take place in Brussels on 8 December.
No comment from the Federal Chancellery on statements by the Interior Minister
Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) will travel to Croatia on Wednesday for a working visit. The Croatian newspaper “Jutarnji list” wrote on Friday evening that there were no signs that Austria was against the extension of the Schengen area to Croatia, but described Karner’s statements as a “bomb”. The Federal Chancellery declined to comment on Saturday on Karner’s refusal to agree to an expansion of the Schengen area.
Croatia not impressed
Croatian Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said at a press conference in Zagreb on Saturday, according to the Hina news agency, that nothing had changed in relations between Croatia and Austria. “I spoke to him today and yesterday (Minister of the Interior Karner, note). It is a fact that Austria has supported our membership of the Schengen system from the beginning of the Schengen rapprochement process and nothing has changed in this regard ”, said Bozinovic.
Karner told him that Austria has never and never had anything against Croatia, the Croatian interior minister continued. The sharp increase in the number of illegal migrants mentioned by Karner will be discussed at the meeting of EU interior ministers on Friday.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
