Scholz calls controls along Austrian border 'indispensable'
Published: 03:08 PM,Aug 18,2023 | EDITED : 07:08 PM,Aug 18,2023
VIENNA: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said continued controls along the border between Germany and Austria are 'indispensable,'following a meeting with his Austrian counterpart in Salzburg on Friday.
Scholz, a Social Democrat, cited rising numbers of migrants arriving in Germany in his remarks following a meeting with conservative Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The visit to Austria was Scholz's first since becoming Germany's chancellor in late 2021.
Although both Austria and Germany belong to the European Union and the Schengen visa-free travel area, Germany in 2015 reimposed border checks in an effort to control the movement of migrants entering the country from the south.
The German border controls are officially temporary but have been regularly renewed, most recently in May. Austria has complained about the delays created for commuters and goods at the German border,although Austria itself has reimposed border controls along its southern and eastern borders.
Nehammer noted that the number of new asylum claims in Austria has dropped this year and said close economic, social and family ties between the two German-speaking countries have long transcended the border.
Disagreements between Austria and Germany over plans for EU members Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen zone were also emerged at Friday's meeting between Scholz and Nehammer.
'Germany stands for a further development of the European Union, and this of course also includes the option for European Union member countries to join the Schengen area,' Scholz said.
Nehammer's conservative government, on the other hand, opposes allowing Bulgaria and Romania to join out of concern that dropping border controls with the two countries might allow more migrants to reach Austria.
'Only if we have credible external border protection, if we have fast and quick asylum procedures... will we also gain people's trust in the European project,' he said.
Germany is Austria's most important trading partner. The volume of trade amounts to $142 billion annually, and 30% of all Austrian exports go to Germany.
Germans are also by far the largest group of foreigners in Austria.According to Statistics Austria, 217,000 Germans resided in Austria last year. Conversely, 256,000 Austrians live in Germany, according to data from the German Foreign Ministry. — dpa
Scholz, a Social Democrat, cited rising numbers of migrants arriving in Germany in his remarks following a meeting with conservative Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The visit to Austria was Scholz's first since becoming Germany's chancellor in late 2021.
Although both Austria and Germany belong to the European Union and the Schengen visa-free travel area, Germany in 2015 reimposed border checks in an effort to control the movement of migrants entering the country from the south.
The German border controls are officially temporary but have been regularly renewed, most recently in May. Austria has complained about the delays created for commuters and goods at the German border,although Austria itself has reimposed border controls along its southern and eastern borders.
Nehammer noted that the number of new asylum claims in Austria has dropped this year and said close economic, social and family ties between the two German-speaking countries have long transcended the border.
Disagreements between Austria and Germany over plans for EU members Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen zone were also emerged at Friday's meeting between Scholz and Nehammer.
'Germany stands for a further development of the European Union, and this of course also includes the option for European Union member countries to join the Schengen area,' Scholz said.
Nehammer's conservative government, on the other hand, opposes allowing Bulgaria and Romania to join out of concern that dropping border controls with the two countries might allow more migrants to reach Austria.
'Only if we have credible external border protection, if we have fast and quick asylum procedures... will we also gain people's trust in the European project,' he said.
Germany is Austria's most important trading partner. The volume of trade amounts to $142 billion annually, and 30% of all Austrian exports go to Germany.
Germans are also by far the largest group of foreigners in Austria.According to Statistics Austria, 217,000 Germans resided in Austria last year. Conversely, 256,000 Austrians live in Germany, according to data from the German Foreign Ministry. — dpa