The main refugee routes to Northern Europe pass through Austria
According to the BBC, Austria has become one of the main transit points for migrants ultimately seeking political asylum in Germany. Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner stated that the country has no other choice, as a pan-European way out of the current migration crisis has not yet been found.
“Strengthening our borders until a unified European action plan is created is a matter of common sense. I believe we must ensure security, order and a high quality of life for our citizens in Austria,” stated Johanna Mikl-Leitner. “We cannot handle the number of asylum applications we received last year. Therefore, we are imposing restrictions on the flow of refugees. Another step is the introduction of daily quotas.”
In 2015, Austria accepted about 90,000 refugees (about 1% of the country’s population). Austrian officials would like to significantly reduce this number this year to 37,500. According to observers, the influx of migrants has led to a rise in popularity of far-right movements in the country and caused tensions in the ruling coalition.
Neighboring Slovenia and other Balkan countries, through which the main refugee routes to Northern Europe pass, have also indicated that they intend to introduce stricter restrictions on migrants. Some EU countries have already temporarily reinstated border controls. Following Austria’s announcement, the Slovenian government reported that it asked the country’s parliament to approve the use of the army at the borders to control the flow of migrants.