Attention: Austria to further control the Hungarian border

Austria plans to extend controls on the Hungarian-Austrian and the Slovenian-Austrian border for another six months from 11 May, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told ORF.

Austria will present the request to extend border controls to the European Commission in the coming days, Index reports. The minister added that the further suspension of the Schengen free movement rules is necessary to fight illegal immigration.

Austria last extended the temporary reintroduction of border controls at the Schengen internal border for another six months in October last year. Last year, Karner said, “migration pressures were unbelievable”, which is why the controls needed to continue.

The effectiveness of the measure is demonstrated by the significant decrease in the number of asylum seekers in Austria. While 12,000 people applied for asylum in the country in November last year, in February this year, only 2,600 had applied, he added.

“As long as the protection of the external borders of the European Union is not in place, the cost of millions of euros in controls for the security of the Austrian population will have to be borne,” the minister said.

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