Scholz sticks to border controls with Austria

Olaf Scholz rejects an end to the controls on the border with Austria. Border controls are currently still “essential”.

During his visit to Salzburg, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) rejected an end to the current controls on the border with Austria. At present, such an approach is “in view of the numbers that we all know, something that is indispensable – just as Austria, for its part, has to carry out checks in other places,” Scholz said on Friday at a press conference with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP ) in Salzburg. On this occasion, Scholz also welcomed Austria’s accession to the European air defense project Sky Shield.

“We have to see that we put the whole system on a good footing,” said Scholz, referring to the reform of European asylum law. “As long as none of this works, we will always have to help each other in some very pragmatic way, such as on the German-Austrian border.”

Nehammer: The Schengen system doesn’t work

In June, the EU interior ministers agreed on a compromise that for the first time provides for asylum procedures at the EU’s external borders, but also for a mechanism for the distribution of asylum seekers among the EU states. In Germany there are stationary controls only in Bavaria on the border with Austria. They were introduced in 2015 during the sharp increase in the number of refugees at the time and have been extended again and again since then.

Prior to the visit, Nehammer had stated that he wanted to talk to Scholz about border controls within the Schengen area. “Germany continues to carry out border controls with Austria, which shows that the Schengen system does not work structurally,” the APA news agency quoted Nehammer as saying.

The Austrian said on Friday that he was again able to show Scholz the “special challenge that Austria is facing” with regard to the Schengen area. “We’re in a common destiny there, too,” said Nehammer. He pointed out that in Austria last year, more than 75 percent of the 122,000 asylum seekers were not registered, “although they went through an EU country.”

Federal government wants to take in refugees

Nehammer is one of the loudest advocates of more secure external borders within the EU. In addition, his country vetoed the accession to the Schengen area of ​​the EU countries Romania and Bulgaria last year. The Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner justified this with the increasing number of migrants on the Balkan route.

The federal government, on the other hand, had advocated admission. “The German position on this issue is clear, and I’ve always been able to assure my friends in Romania and Bulgaria of that,” said Scholz in Salzburg.

Both Chancellors spoke out in favor of the EU’s asylum compromise and for agreements with countries of origin and transit. Nehammer described the migration agreement between the EU and Tunisia, which was concluded in mid-July, as “forward-looking”.

Tunisia should limit illegal migration

The agreement provides for massive EU financial aid, in return Tunisia is to take stronger action against irregular migration. Aid organizations denounce this with a view to the human rights situation in Tunisia.

“Migration partnerships” are also in Germany’s interest, said Scholz. “Germany needs millions of additional workers to maintain its own prosperity. It’s no different in Austria.” At the same time, it should be agreed with the countries that migrants “who wrongly invoke reasons for fleeing and are therefore not granted protection” would also be taken back. “That’s where the problem lies,” said Scholz.

According to their own statements, Nehammer and Scholz also spoke about the security situation and energy supply in the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “Germany has made important decisions to be able to better defend our country and our allies. And in view of these new realities, I also welcome the fact that Austria joined our joint European air defense initiative Sky Shield in July,” said Scholz.