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Austria to Extend Controls at the Hungarian Border

Hungary Today 2024.04.16.

Austria will extend internal border controls at its borders with Hungary and Slovenia for another six months from mid-May, SchengenVisaInfo reports. The measure was announced by Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.

The politician announced the extension until November during a visit to the Austria-Slovenia border crossing Spielfeld. He explained the measure as a way to avoid irregular migration and human trafficking. He stressed that

the latest measures and the increased pressure on the borders are having an effect, and human traffickers are already avoiding Austria.”

Austria introduced internal border controls with Slovenia and Hungary in 2015, and has since then extended the restrictions several times. The latest extension took place in November 2023, when Austria decided to maintain border controls with the two countries until May 2024. As in the current case, human trafficking and irregular migration were cited as the main reasons.

According to the site, Slovenia has expressed its opposition to the extension of border controls. The Slovenian government said that the continued extension is not in line with EU law and that it makes border crossing for even EU citizens much more difficult, therefore it called on Austria to end this measure.

People Smugglers Move Operations Away from the Hungarian Border
People Smugglers Move Operations Away from the Hungarian Border

On the morning of March 12 alone, 627 border offenders were apprehended at the Hungarian border.Continue reading

Via SchengenVisaInfo, Featured image: Wikipedia


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