Key Takeaways
- Austria extends border controls with Hungary and Slovenia until May 2025, citing efforts to curb illegal migration and human trafficking.
- Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasized that border controls are a decisive tool to prevent illegal entry into the country.
- Other Schengen countries, such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands, are implementing similar measures for security and migration control.
Austria is intensifying its border checks with Hungary and Slovenia, extending internal controls until May 2025. The Ministry of Interior has indicated that these measures are aimed at cracking down on illegal migration and human trafficking, with the government prioritizing security and control over unauthorized entry. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasized that these checks have effectively reduced the number of arrests, deterring smugglers from using Austria as a transit route.
This is not a new measure; Austria first implemented internal controls with Hungary and Slovenia in 2015, periodically renewing them. Recently, the number of arrests in the border region of Burgenland has significantly declined, underscoring the government’s rationale for continuing border oversight. Austria is not alone in this approach. Seven other Schengen countries, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands, are conducting similar border controls, driven by concerns over terrorist threats and irregular migration.
Source [https://schengen.news/austria-extends-internal-border-controls-with-hungary-slovenia-until-may-2025/]
