Austria to step up border controls

Image
AFP Vienna
Last Updated : Feb 16 2016 | 10:48 PM IST
The Austrian government announced today it would step up border controls at checkpoints along its southern frontier with Italy, Slovenia and Hungary to slow the migrant influx.
"There will be different structural measures from containers to further barriers" similar to the short mesh fence recently set up at Austria's main border crossing with Slovenia at Spielfeld, Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said.
The government also plans to create a daily cap tomorrow on the number of migrants allowed into the country, she added.
The checkpoints Mikl-Leitner referred to are located in the states of Carinthia, Styria, Burgenland as well as Tyrol, which shares a border with Italy.
Austria has adopted an increasingly hardline stance as Europe struggles to cope with its worst migration crisis since World War II.
The country of nearly nine million people last year received 90,000 asylum claims, one of the bloc's highest rates per capita.
In response to the influx, Vienna already warned last month it would cap this year's number of asylum claims at 37,500 and deport at least 12,500 people.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 16 2016 | 10:48 PM IST

Next Story