After December 17, controls will initially be carried out for another two months. The borders with Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia are already being controlled.
Austria continues to maintain extraordinary controls at the Schengen border with the Czech Republic due to concerns about illegal migration. After December 17, controls will initially continue for another two months, the Ministry of the Interior announced on Saturday. “Border controls are currently necessary both to combat the smuggling mafia and to take consistent measures against internationally active extremists,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), according to the statement.
Austria reportedly reintroduced border controls with the Czech Republic on October 18. In the fight against illegal migration, Austria already controls its borders with Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. According to the Ministry of the Interior, “intensive controls” would be carried out in “areas close to the border” with Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Border controls are not actually planned in the Schengen area and must be reported to the EU Commission. However, 11 of the 27 Schengen member states would carry out internal controls, the statement said. This shows that “as long as the protection of external borders does not work, the Schengen system is broken”. (APA)