New Border Protection Concept Commissioned

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced on Monday that the Austrian border protection concept is to be further developed and adapted to the changed situation in the area of illegal migration. He has tasked the Directorate General for Public Security with creating a new concept by mid-December, he said ahead of a working meeting with Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj-Eštok in Kittsee (district of Neusiedl am See).

"Smuggler Mafia Avoids Austria"

"Illegal migration has been massively reduced in recent years and is approaching zero. The smuggler mafia avoids Austria. To sustainably secure this development, border protection must be further professionalized and tactically developed," Karner justified the step. The new concept should also include the "Operation Fox" on Hungarian territory and cross-border, coordinated control measures with Slovakia, which will be a topic at the working meeting.

At the Burgenland-Hungarian border, the decline in illegal migration is particularly evident according to the Interior Ministry: While in October 2022 nearly 15,000 refugees were apprehended, this year only 180 apprehensions have been recorded. At the same time, only a quarter of the people apprehended in Burgenland this year (around 2,700) have applied for asylum. The rest have been asked to leave the federal territory. The new concept is intended to ensure that the numbers remain the same.

Border Controls to Slovakia

Border controls to Slovakia have been in place for over two years - initially running until December 15. The aim of this measure was to prevent evasive movements of smugglers from Hungary via Slovak and finally onto Austrian territory, according to the Interior Ministry.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.