Austria increases border control after controversial message from Hungary

Austria tightens border controls at the country’s border with Hungary. It comes after Hungary’s government announced it would release thousands of convicted human traffickers from the country’s prisons. For that reason, Austria will in future carry out more thorough checks on vehicles from Hungary, Romania and Serbia, Austria’s Ministry of the Interior announced on Sunday, according to the news agency dpa. Austria will also reconsider police cooperation with Hungary.

The message from Hungary that thousands of convicted human traffickers will be set free came on Friday. The only condition is that those released must leave Hungary within 72 hours. This appears from a decree that came from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday.

Austria’s interior ministry has reacted with some irritation to Hungary’s latest initiative. Austria pointed out on Friday, when the content of Orbán’s decree became known, that the inmates are criminals who have endangered the lives of other people. One of the routes used by people smugglers to smuggle migrants to Europe is through the Balkans and on through Hungary.

Austria receives fewer asylum seekers today than a year ago. In April, around 3,500 people sought asylum in the country. This is a decrease of about a third compared to April last year. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior believes that this is due to increased monitoring of smuggling routes and better cooperation with the countries from which migrants come and with the countries – such as Hungary – through which the migrants travel.