Austria extends border controls with the Czech Republic and Slovakia

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency quoting “De Presse” newspaper, “Gerhard Karner”, the Minister of the Interior of Austria announced the extension of border controls with the Czech Republic and from June with Slovakia in order to contain the migration crisis. According to the statement of the Ministry of the Interior of Austria, Karner said: the implementation of border control is one of the necessary measures to fight against illegal immigration and the smuggling mafia. Karner did not give an expiration date, saying that the border controls “will continue as long as necessary”. April 16 and will continue with Slovakia until June 2. Controls on both neighboring countries began in October last year and have been extended several times. These controls must be sent to the EU Commission for notification.

Austria is also currently carrying out border controls with Hungary and Slovenia. According to the Ministry of the Interior of Austria, intensive controls are carried out in areas close to the border on other borders with Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The Ministry of the Interior of Austria thus It argues that controls are necessary to close the gaps in the control network and thus prevent the movements of the smuggling mafia. Germany also carries out border control with Austria, Czech Republic and Poland or Italy with Slovenia and Slovenia with Croatia. Austria’s interior ministry also sees the controls as an important measure against terrorism, which Vienna says is financed by the smuggling mafia.

According to the ministry, Austria Eight of the 27 Schengen member states currently control internal borders, namely Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Austria, Sweden and Slovenia.

On this basis, about a thousand foreign nationals were arrested in Lower Austria between January and March 2023. This year, 500 foreign nationals were arrested during the same period, which has decreased by 50%.

The European Union, in line with other member states, constantly tightens strict rules against immigrants.

The European Union is trying to plan ahead of the elections in this region. Reforms of the asylum rules to intensify the strictures against asylum seekers pass the approval of the parliament and in this way attract the votes of the citizens. Member States and the Commission agreed to step up their approach to illegal immigrants.

The plan includes, among other things, faster procedures at the EU’s external borders to ensure deportations. Immigrants are considered without perspective. However, the reforms are unlikely to have any effect until the European elections in early June, experts say.

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