Karner Warns of Growing Drone Threat in EU Countries

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) warns of an increasing drone threat. European security circles assume that the threat to critical infrastructure, such as airports, in EU countries will noticeably increase after the end of the Ukraine war, Karner told the German "Welt" (online) on Monday.

Greater Threat from Drones: Organized Crime in Focus

It is to be expected that numerous dangerous weapons will fall into the hands of organized crime through dark channels.

In the interview, Karner called for quick and Europe-wide coordinated responses. "Similar experiences were made after the end of the so-called Yugoslav war in the 1990s. Highly dangerous modern drone technology in the hands of unscrupulous criminals - this is likely to pose entirely new challenges for the states in Europe."

"Population Can No Longer Hear 'Solidarity'"

Karner further criticized the 'solidarity mechanism' in the new EU asylum system, which is to be implemented by mid-June 2026. This mechanism is "basically a misconstruction. Because the solution to the migration crisis is certainly not distribution among EU countries, but measures that prevent people from Africa from coming to Europe in the first place," said Karner. These would be asylum procedures in countries outside Europe, return centers, and robust protection of external borders, if necessary with soldiers. "The EU population can no longer hear the word 'solidarity' when it comes to migration."

For Austria, the distribution of migrants is "out of the question," emphasized Karner. "It must be recognized that Austria has already taken in a very large number of migrants in recent years."

(APA/Red)

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