“Empty sentences” – EU border control: Nehammer threatens to block the summit

“Loud sentences will not be enough,” the “Welt” quoted the red-white-red head of government in its Wednesday edition. If “concrete steps” are not taken, Austria “will not be able to support the final statement of the EU summit,” said the ÖVP leader. Ahead of the special migration summit on Thursday and Friday, Austria and seven other EU countries had already called in a joint letter for more EU-funded measures to protect the external borders, faster deportations and new repatriation agreements with third countries.

Asylum applications: Cyprus, Austria, Greece particularly heavily burdened
According to the European Commission, the number of asylum applications in 2022 will increase by almost 50 percent to 924,000 compared to the previous year. Most asylum applications were made in Germany, France, Spain and Austria. Relative to the number of inhabitants, Cyprus, Austria and Greece are particularly affected. To relieve the burden on asylum systems, people without a right of residence must be returned more quickly and consistently to their country of origin. This is currently going wrong, partly due to cooperation with third countries. There is now talk of using visa policies to put pressure on countries that do not want to take back their nationals.

Funding of border fences controversial
The issue of funding border fences is also controversial. As is well known, Austria is demanding funding from the EU budget. Support comes from, among others, Denmark and the Baltic states, while Germany and France are against. The EU Commission also rejected the request and stressed that money would be made available for border measures such as surveillance cameras.

Leitl warns of the “dirty corner of the veto club swingers”
Criticism of Nehammer’s performance came from the FPÖ. “The master of empty talk is ÖVP chancellor Karl Nehammer himself. Why don’t Nehammer, Karner and Co. finally replace the self-established ‘Welcome Service’ at the Austrian border with a real and robust border guard?” asked the blue security spokesperson. Hannes Amesbauer said Wednesday. The president of the European Movement Austria (EBÖ), Christoph Leitl, said Nehammer had to agree as he was concerned about Austria’s security and put forward proposals. Europe must finally find common solutions to the asylum and migration issue. However, in order to be heard by the EU partners it is “not helpful to fit into the ‘dirty corner of the veto-club-wielders’. As a result, the country suffered a “massive loss of confidence”.