Austria defiant as EU warns migrant quota plan illegal

[webfact]

Austria defiant as EU warns migrant quota plan illegal



VIENNA: -- Austria has vowed to stick with its plan to cap the number of migrants it will allow to cross its borders.

The defiant stand comes as the EU warns the country that its planned quota system is against European law.

Austria’s Chancellor has backed the plan announced by the interior minister to impose daily and hourly migrant quotas modelled on those in Germany.

“Politically I saw we’ll stick with it. Sweden and Germany will have to speak for themselves but it’s unthinkable for Austria to take on the asylum seekers for the whole of Europe,” Werner Faymann said before a meeting of European leaders in Brussels.

“After 100,000 refugees we can’t tell the Austrian people that it will just continue like this,” he added.

The European Union’s Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos wrote to the Austrian government on Thursday to warn that the daily cap on migrant numbers would break the block’s laws.

Despite the criticism, Austria’s Interior MInister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said it would “begin tomorrow” with its plan to let no more than 3,200 migrants onto its territory per day, either to travel on to Germany or apply for asylum in Austria, and introduce a daily limit of 80 asylum claims.

Meanwhile police chiefs from countries along the so-called Balkan migration route have agreed to introduce the joint registration of refugees and organise their transport straight to Austria.

The meeting in Zagreb was attended by representatives from Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

“Our goal is to make the transport of migrants from Greece and (the former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia towards Austria as painless as possible and to avoid refugees being turned back, which is happening now, because each country has been profiling incoming migrants on its own,” said Vlado Dominic, head of the Croatian Police force.

Earlier this week the Greek and (FYR) Macedonian governments announced drastic new measures to increase border security. Each migrant entering the country will be subjected to a 30-minute interview to verify his or her nationality. New registration documents will help the authorities share information faster with Balkan nations.

Austria has erected barriers and a four kilometre-long fence at its main crossing for migrants at Spielfield. Its stance may add to the pressure on its southern neighbours.

The country has largely served as a corridor into neighbouring Germany for the hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Syrian refugees, who have streamed onto its territory since the two countries threw open their borders to them in September.

It has, however, taken in a similar number of asylum seekers to Germany in proportion to its far smaller population. Numbers coming in from Slovenia have fluctuated widely over the past year, from as many as 14,000 a day to the latest figures suggesting that around 1,000 are currently braving the winter cold every 24 hours.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-19

[Steely Dan]

As I remarked before, in order to safeguard their own future survival EU member states will have to fight the ideologues of the EU first.

[NeverSure]

I never heard of a country that didn't have borders...

[lostinisaan]

And not long there'll be a guy with a funny mustache from Austria and........... .

“After 100,000 refugees we can’t tell the Austrian people that it will just continue like this,” he added. But Angela Merkel didn't get it.

Edited February 18, 2016 by lostinisaan

[NongKhaiKid]

Is Brussels really worried about anything other than the threat to their belief they should have absolute power and control over everything ?

Edited February 19, 2016 by NongKhaiKid

[Credo]

Isn't that a little like Canada telling the US they can't do something because it's against Canadian law?

I would assume that the government of Austria should first and foremost be protecting the Austrian people.

My sympathies to those fleeing, but there are only so many people you can put in a lifeboat before the boat sinks. I think some countries have passed that limit.

[SgtRock]

Proof positive, if any was needed, that the EU rides roughshod over Sovereign Nations.

Despite the criticism, Austria’s Interior MInister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said it would “begin tomorrow” with its plan to let no more than 3,200 migrants onto its territory per day, either to travel on to Germany or apply for asylum in Austria, and introduce a daily limit of 80 asylum claims.

Good luck with that plan. I foresee a migrant camp of epic proportion on the Austrian border by June.

[boomerangutang]

From the OP: "Meanwhile police chiefs from countries along the so-called Balkan migration route have agreed to introduce the joint registration of refugees and organise their transport straight to Austria."

In other words, Austria is the designated "go-to" or "go-through" country. I respect the Austrian authorities for trying to render things less insane, but it's too little too late. What's next; a corridor linking Greece to the German border, cordoned off the whole way by 4 meter high razor wire fences? How 'bout turning migrants away from the initial European places they show up at, like Lesbos island and southern Italy? I know it's easy for me to suggest, and desperate people will find other places to enter, but dynamic action has to be taken closer to where the journeys begin. There are no silver bullets, but countries like Hungary (closer to the front lines) are implementing reasonable policies, like building a large fence along its border to try and protect some of its sovereign status.

In the bigger picture, it's all a result of overpopulation (at the source countries) as much as anything else (awful leaders, wars, lack of resources, lack of water, trying to eke out a living on sand dunes, mountains of trash, open sewers which used to be creeks, etc.).

[nikster]

In the bigger picture, it's all a result of overpopulation (at the source countries) as much as anything else (awful leaders, wars, lack of resources, lack of water, trying to eke out a living on sand dunes, mountains of trash, open sewers which used to be creeks, etc.).

The syrian refugee child who drew this picture and gave it to German Police seem to disagree with your assessment.

[boomerangutang]

In the bigger picture, it's all a result of overpopulation (at the source countries) as much as anything else (awful leaders, wars, lack of resources, lack of water, trying to eke out a living on sand dunes, mountains of trash, open sewers which used to be creeks, etc.).

The syrian refugee child who drew this picture and gave it to German Police seem to disagree with your assessment.

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it's a heart-wrenching drawing, but it bolsters my assessment. It shows how miserable conditions are in the source countries - due as much to overpopulation (at resource-devoid regions), as anything else. My daughter, now 40, tells me, "dad, you would do the same if you came from war-torn country." My response; Yes, I would. I would have been desperate to leave a dune country even if there wasn't a war going on. Partly because of their awful rulers, partly because of their mean-spirited required religion, but mostly because of the depravity caused by overpopulation. Dune countries just aren't habitable. We're seeing proof of that every day.

[sead]

Breaking laws HAHAHAHA. There havent been anyone commiting to any law from the time, the first immigrant set foot on EU soil.

[Srikcir]

I never heard of a country that didn't have borders...

Been in the news lately-

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's borderless Schengen Area by which all the EU nations abide.

[mopar71]

US/UK/Coalition overthrow gov'ts in Iraq and Afghanistan = no migrant or refugee crisis

US/UK/Coalition do not get involved in Syria and we end up with ISIS and the largest, most dangerous migration in human history into Europe.

One of the lines Bush 43, etc used to say 10-15 years ago was something like "we are going over there to fight them so we don't have to fight them over here". Well, turns out that was 100% correct after all. Critics can claim that the USA created ISIS...maybe, but under Bush ISIS would be too busy fighting for survival in the desert instead of being allowed to conduct their reign of terror across MENA and flooding Europe with sleeper cells.

[mopar71]

I never heard of a country that didn't have borders...

Been in the news lately-

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's borderless Schengen Area by which all the EU nations abide.

As a non-EU citizen living legally inside the Schengen Zone I can attest that a valid passport is still needed to cross those invisible borders. Not long ago I got on a bus to go 4 hours to the next country and the driver wouldn't accept my resident ID to board the bus. A passport was required. Fortunately it was in my bag already.

[Jonmarleesco]

'The European Union’s Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos wrote to the Austrian government on Thursday to warn that the daily cap on migrant numbers would break the block’s laws.' Big deal. I'm sure the Austrians will take note - before pointedly reminding the commissioner that their voters take precedence over appointed bureaucrats.

[Jonmarleesco]

I never heard of a country that didn't have borders...

Been in the news lately-

The Schengen Agreement is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's borderless Schengen Area by which all the EU nations abide.

Not all members signed up to the Schengen treaty; the UK, for one - though it would be somewhat difficult to describe the English Channel as borderless, even with the Chunnel.

[connda]

Send them to Brussels.

[Steely Dan]

Hungary are going to have a referendum on whether or not to adopt migrant quotas. The EU is in danger of breaking up if Countries continue to give the finger to the Brussels politburo.

[RickBradford]

Hungary are going to have a referendum on whether or not to adopt migrant quotas. The EU is in danger of breaking up if Countries continue to give the finger to the Brussels politburo.

Is "danger" the right word?

Perhaps "..in sight of the opportunity of.." would be closer to the wishes of the exasperated ordinary citizens of many European countries.

[lostboy]

US/UK/Coalition overthrow gov'ts in Iraq and Afghanistan = no migrant or refugee crisis

US/UK/Coalition do not get involved in Syria and we end up with ISIS and the largest, most dangerous migration in human history into Europe.

One of the lines Bush 43, etc used to say 10-15 years ago was something like "we are going over there to fight them so we don't have to fight them over here". Well, turns out that was 100% correct after all. Critics can claim that the USA created ISIS...maybe, but under Bush ISIS would be too busy fighting for survival in the desert instead of being allowed to conduct their reign of terror across MENA and flooding Europe with sleeper cells.

It would be nice if those right wing hayseeds from the flyover states could actually know what they are talking about when they sprinkle their minuscule pearls of unwisdom around. Case in point, the remarkable thesis that neocon military adventurism prevented refugees from those countries who were fortunate enough to receive the attention of the Great Liberator. Well, for those interested in actual facts, Afghans comprise the 2nd largest group in the current wave of refugees to Europe. Afghanistan is experiencing massive capital flight, around US$120 billion so far most of which has gone to people smugglers. Last years operational budget for the Government of Afghanistan was USD$8 billion. I learned this from the CEO of one of Afghanistan's functioning commercial banks during my work there. It is supported by other reports and references http://www.cfr.org/migration/europes-migration-crisis/p32874.

Tell me, O Great One, what is the reason for this great Afghan diaspora if not for the blessings and attention of G.W. and his Mighty Marvels?

You then double down on stupid by pontificating about ISIS, a malignancy created by G.W. and his team of incompetent non-nation builders, chief among them Pro Consul Paul Bremer, recipient of the American Medal of Freedom.

This is just so representative of the sort that are voting for Trump and explains why he can lead them around by the nose so easily.

[asdis]

That's a matter of opinion