Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz says Italy should stop allowing illegal migrants from reaching the mainland. He said allowing them movement is giving them a gateway to Europe.
The comments were made during a meeting with his Italian counterpart Angelino Alfano, in Vienna.
It’s estimated Italy has admitted around 500,000 refugees and migrants since 2014 and the numbers continue to grow.
However, earlier this month, the Italian foreign ministry summoned the Austrian ambassador to Rome after Vienna said it was ready to deploy up to 750 troops at the Brenner Pass “very soon” unless the flow of migrants from Italy diminishes.
“If Italy were to continue its transfers to the mainland, not only will Central Europe be overwhelmed, but drownings will continue”, Kurz said, adding that rescue operations in the Mediterranean “should not be a ticket for Central Europe”.
Kurz said the meeting with Alfano was productive although they did not share “the same position”.
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz on Thursday said Italy should stop transferring illegal migrants from its islands to the mainland during a meeting with his Italian counterpart in Vienna.
“We demand that the transfer of illegal migrants from Italian islands like Lampedusa to the mainland stop”, Kurz was quoted as saying by Austrian news agency APA after the meeting with Alfano.
Kurz also said Austria indents to close its border at the Brenner Pass to secure its border if Italy lets migrants through.
Kurz said the meeting with Alfano was “correct” although they did not share “the same position”.
“If Italy were to continue its timely transfers on the mainland, from which migrants proceed northwards, not only will Central Europe be overwhelmed, but drownings will continue”, Kurz said, noting that rescue operations in the Mediterranean “should not be a ticket for Central Europe”.
Earlier this month, the Italian foreign ministry summoned the Austrian ambassador to Rome after Vienna said it was ready to deploy up to 750 troops at the Brenner Pass “very soon” unless the flow of migrants from Italy diminishes.
In response to Kurz’s statement, Lampedusa Mayor Totò Martello said “I would have expected this kind of declaration from a Nazi skinhead, certainly not from a representative of the institutions of an EU country.” Martello said “clearly Kurz does not not know how big Lampedusa is, and forgets that six thousand people who feel European live on our island”.
