German Chancellor Olaf Scholz considers border controls with Austria “essential” given the current migration figures. Scholz had met Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) bilaterally in Salzburg on Friday for the first time since taking office in November 2021.
At the same time, the German Chancellor was confident that the EU asylum mechanism currently being negotiated and agreements with countries of origin and transit will improve migration rates in Europe.
At the same time, both he and Nehammer addressed the problem that, contrary to current regulations, the majority of asylum seekers who came to Austria and Germany via Hungary were not registered at the EU’s external border.
Nehammer described the relevant talks with Hungary, which together with Poland reject the planned asylum solidarity mechanism, as “drilling through thick boards”. Hungary must become a “security partner” in the field of migration. At the same time, he called for better involvement of the countries of the Western Balkans in the subject.
Nehammer praises repatriation agreements
He cited the example of the negotiations with Serbia, which had led to the repeal of Serbia’s visa-free regime for Indian and Tunisian citizens, which had increased the number of asylum applications in Austria by 2022.
As for migration agreements, Nehammer highlighted not only an EU agreement with Tunisia in mid-July, but also a bilateral repatriation agreement between Austria and Morocco signed in February. On the one hand, this will allow Moroccans who have committed a crime to be brought back from Austria, but on the other hand it will also enable “ordered immigration to the labor market” in Austria.
Disagreements between Romania and Bulgaria
Regarding Austria’s blockade of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area, Nehammer praised the fact that for the first time within the European Union Bulgaria’s “incredibly large challenges” in terms of migration “because of its long external border with Turkey came closer. in focus. However, he made no mention of any movement by Austria regarding the blockade. Scholz, in turn, reiterated the German position that the two countries would support accession to Schengen.
In addition to the migration issue and the war in Ukraine, cooperation on a hydrogen pipeline corridor via Italy to Austria and Germany was also discussed.
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.
