Austria firm on keeping controls at Slovenian border

Border controls must be kept at the Austrian-Slovenian border given the heavy migratory pressure from Slovenia, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer told his Slovenian counterpart Robert Golob in Vienna on Tuesday, adding that discussion about lifting controls is possible if pressure is reduced by autumn.

Golob visited Vienna for the first time since taking office one year ago and met with his Austrian counterpart, Karl Nehammer, to discuss several matters, including Austria’s decision in May to extend border controls at the Slovenian border – a decision that has caused a strong upset in Slovenia, with the European Commission threatening Austria with legal action.

At the meeting, however, Nehammer reiterated the need for border controls at the Slovenian border, referring to Austria recording 18,000 asylum applications this year and noting the general shortcomings of the Schengen system, noting the many migrants who go unregistered in other EU states.

Still, Nehammer hinted that border controls with Slovenia could be discussed in autumn.

“If we manage to reduce the pressure, we can talk about it,” he said, referring to how Schengen members can decide to prolong border checks after six months.

Ahead of Golob’s visit, Austria’s Interior Ministry published migration figures from Slovenia proving a sharp increase in irregular border crossings, indicating that Slovenian authorities apprehended 16,131 people irregularly crossing the border by June, compared to just 4,598 the year prior.

To this, Golob reacted with a rhetorical question, asking whether Slovenia should implement controls on the return of Austrian tourists during the vacation season.

“We don’t want to hit our own population or our neighbours with measures that are not effective,” Golob said at the meeting in Vienna, adding that the significant number of apprehensions in Slovenia would indicate that alternative measures have proven more effective in combating illegal migration, APA reported.

To better control migration flows, Golob noted the new joint initiative between Austria, Slovenia and Croatia to better manage migration flows throughout the entire territory, similar to the approach to controls Denmark and Germany are taking at their shared border – where the number of checks at the border is now based on police assessments of where they are the most needed.

“Slovenia does not want to abolish Schengen. We want to be a role model that migrants can be handled differently,” Golob stressed.

Nehammer supported Golob’s proposal, saying he would authorise Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to enhance cooperation with Slovenia.

Beyond the border control dispute, Golob and Nehammer appeared closely aligned on various fronts, showcasing unity on EU asylum reform and advocating for swift EU integration of the Western Balkans. Golob embraced Austria’s proposition to modify the EU enlargement process, aiming to selectively integrate accession countries in advance.

(Chiara Swaton | EURACTIV.de)