“Dirty Democrats” – Nehammer defends top with Orban and Vucic

At the third meeting in this constellation, Nehammer is the host in Vienna for the first time. He previously defended his collaboration with Orban and Vucic – both prime ministers are accused of attacks on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. “Those who guard their borders must be supported. As long as the EU does not intervene sufficiently here, we will have to save ourselves,” Nehammer justified.

‘Further tightening asylum brake’
“The third migration summit will further strengthen this axis between Austria, Hungary and Serbia and further tighten the asylum brake. The protection of the external borders must be given the highest priority, including in the European Union, and we will continue to work for this at all levels. In addition, we will continue to work together to stop irregular migration before it even arrives on European soil, in particular by stepping up cooperation with safe third countries,” the Chancellor stressed.

The focus of the summit should be on strengthening border security and further improving operational measures, the Federal Chancellery said on Thursday. Therefore, the police chiefs of all three countries will participate in the summit to evaluate and deepen the previous cooperation. The ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Interior will also attend the meeting.

“Results speak for themselves”
Nehammer, Orban and Vucic first met in Budapest in October. A meeting followed a month later in Belgrade. The main result at the time was Serbia’s commitment to end visa-free travel for citizens of certain countries, such as India or Tunisia, after Austria noticed a huge increase in asylum applications from these countries. As a result, asylum applications in Austria dropped significantly. “The results of the last meeting speak for themselves,” concluded Nehammer.

The human rights organizations Amnesty International and Asylum Coordination Austria think differently. On Thursday they referred to the asylum figures: Serbia registered 800 asylum applications in the first half of the year, Hungary only 22. Serbia and Hungary. In general, fewer protection titles have been granted in Hungary over the past ten years than in Austria in the past two months,” the NGOs criticized in a broadcast.

NGOs: Austria’s actions “absurd”
They called on Chancellor Nehammer to show a “clear lead” rather than take a “cozy course with slovenly Democrats”. At the summit, Austria’s head of government should “take a clear stand on human rights violations and make fair treatment of refugees a priority”. Lukas Gahleitner-Gertz of the Asylum Coordination Austria demanded that the chancellor demand compliance with Orban and Vucic’s common legal standards. He called it a “scandal” that Austria sent policemen and millions of taxpayers’ money to Hungary and Serbia. Given that most asylum seekers come to Austria anyway, it is also ‘absurd’.

The co-governing Greens are also not happy with the meeting. “This summit is likely to only lead to further radical, unworkable demands – as they violate fundamental and human rights – and contribute to Austria’s further isolation at the EU level and internationally,” criticized Greens foreign policy spokeswoman Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, in advance.

“Hungary must do its part”
The opposition SPÖ also expressed criticism. Your security spokesman Reinhold Einwallner referred in a broadcast to the “lack of solidarity” in Hungary, leading, for example, to “Operation Fox” ad absurdum, “by simply releasing people smugglers”. Both Hungary and Serbia would prevent asylum applications on their own soil through illegal pushbacks or legal tricks. Nehammer and Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) “must above all ensure that this complaint comes to an end and especially urge Orban that Hungary, as an EU member, does its part and finally shows solidarity with Austria”.