Hardline EU ministers form 'axis of the willing' against illegal migrants

The hardline interior ministers of Austria, Germany and Italy have formed an "axis of the willing" to combat illegal immigration, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said today, escalating a Europe-wide row over the issue.

The announcement by Kurz in Berlin after talks with German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer marks a shot across the bow at Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is trying to pull together a deal for EU cooperation on placing asylum seekers.

Seehofer -- who is locked in an open migration feud with Merkel that is threatening the stability of her coalition government -- said that he and his far-right Austrian and Italian counterparts, Herbert Kickl and Matteo Salvini, had formed their alliance this week.

He said their cooperation would extend to "issues of security and terrorism" but did not offer specifics on what it would entail. Kurz, whose country assumes the EU's rotating presidency on July 1, said he welcomed the "good cooperation that we want to develop between Rome, Vienna and Berlin".

"I think it marks very sensible cooperation that will contribute to reducing illegal migration to Europe," Kurz told reporters. "We believe an axis of the willing is needed to fight illegal migration."