Migration pressure on Europe remains high. A rush to Italy triggers domestic political debates. There is criticism of Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) for border controls with Hungary and Slovenia.
The ÖVP likes to make politics with figures on asylum and migration. The argumentation is not always conclusive: in Brussels, an extension of border controls to Slovenia and Hungary with migratory pressure is advocated, while at the same time the “successful brake on asylum” is praised in Belgium.
Schengen veto: Croatia hui, Bulgaria and Romania ugh?
The justification for Austria’s Schengen veto against Bulgaria and Romania and the approval for Croatia is also “rigorous”: Croatia is a model student in external border control, it was said at the beginning of the year. Now suddenly most migrants come from this Schengen newcomer.
Expert: Home Secretary is acting like empty players
“It doesn’t all fit together,” criticizes Lukas Gahleitner-Gertz of the asylum coordination in an interview with “Krone”. Secretary of the Interior Karner has nothing to do with objectivity. “He argues in an irrelevant and populist way. He randomly picks numbers and acts like a shell player,” says Gahleitner-Gertz. If, for example, border controls to Hungary are contested with the currently exploding landings in Italy, “it’s totally irrelevant,” says the expert. Italy has declared a state of emergency after the arrival of 2,000 migrants over the Easter weekend.
Kaiser: border controls to Slovenia “unnecessary”
The head of state of Carinthia, Peter Kaiser (SPÖ), also criticized the controls on Slovenia. This would unnecessarily hinder commuters and holidaymakers.
France is also expanding border controls
The Interior Ministry says that not only Austria but also France has expanded border controls again because migratory pressure is currently felt. In addition, border controls have not been suspended since 2015 and to suspend them would be “irresponsible”, the Interior Ministry said. At the Croatian-Slovenian border, for example, there was an increase of 300 percent. In 2022, from January to March, 1,500 arrests were recorded in Slovenia; in the same period in 2023, there were more than 6,000.
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.
