So far this year 24,085 refugees have been detained at border controls in Burgenland and 145 people smugglers have been arrested. According to the Burgenland National Police, this means five times as many seizures on 20 July and a doubling of the number of arrests compared to the previous year. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) therefore emphasized the importance of priority checks during a visit to the Klingenbach border crossing (Eisenstadt-Environs district) on Wednesday.
Border checks took place in Klingenbach on Wednesday afternoon without significant incidents. Neither refugees nor people smugglers were apprehended and traffic moved smoothly across the border without long waiting times.
Karner wanted to know from the police whether those checked understood that border controls were necessary to combat smuggling and illegal migration. Actually yes, they said, but now and then there is misunderstanding, because: “Very often it is the same people who are checked over and over: the commuters.”
Minister of the Interior emphasizes the importance of priority checks
According to Karner, most catches are still recorded in the districts of Neusiedl am See and Oberpullendorf. Due to the stricter controls – especially there – the smugglers would dodge again and again. Measures against smuggling and illegal migration are a high priority for him, according to the interior minister. That is why the staff at the border has also been expanded. The tightened controls must now be continuously evaluated.
SPÖ wants ‘crisis summit’
The Burgenland SPÖ meanwhile wants to hold a ‘crisis summit’ about the situation at the border. This is getting more and more out of hand, state manager Roland Fürst said in a broadcast on Wednesday. The responsible authorities are overburdened. Asylum seekers are sometimes sent away with a summons after 48 hours if an initial hearing cannot be given. Those involved would then have to make an appointment themselves for an initial investigation, Fürst referred to a report in the daily newspaper “Heute”. “Oriently organizing and handling asylum management is de facto no longer possible,” emphasized the government manager.
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.
