Austria to forge alliances against EU Commission on migration

After visiting the new border guards at the Austrian-Hungarian border, Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer used the occasion to criticise the European Commission’s stance on migration and announced that he will search for allies within the EU to fight illegal migration.

Nehammer said that Austria will challenge the Commission’s approach on the European level and will continue “the fight against irregular migration” within the EU by searching for like-minded allies across the bloc. Nehammer accused the EU executive of “sending the wrong signals” and added in reference to the increase of Austrian border guards that “the European Commission isn’t reacting, hence we are reacting ourselves.”

Nehammer cited as an example the handling of the migrant crisis at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Lithuania, which is currently facing an unprecedented influx of migrants, which it says has been orchestrated by the Belarus authorities, is building a razor wire barrier at its border.

“The Lithuanian interior minister has asked the Commission to help build a border security system. However, the only money that is arriving is for refuge centres for irregular migrants,” Nehammer said, reiterating that this would send “wrong signals.”

Austria has already attempted to forge a coalition with like-minded member states in recent months. Among the potential allies for Austria’s tougher stance on migration are Malta, Denmark, Greece,Hungary, and Czechia. (Oliver Noyan | EURACTIV.de)