Karner calls for drastic measures against radicalization after release from prison

Karner calls for drastic measures against radicalization after release from prison

The dispute over the repatriation of Syrian asylum seekers in Austria is escalating. FPÖ federal party chairman Herbert Kickl has called on Interior Minister Gerhard Karner from the ÖVP to support an EU summit on the remigration of Syrians. According to current estimates, there are around 100,000 Syrians undergoing asylum procedures in Austria, while the number in Germany is up to a million. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Kickl no longer sees the reasons for Syrians to flee and is pushing for a “priority campaign for remigration to Syria”. Loud ots.at He considers the current EU recommendations not to return Syrians to their home country to be absurd and calls for more initiative from the ÖVP.

Interior Minister Karner also commented on the demands, but in a different context. In an interview, he explained that the radicalization of Islamist criminals after their release from prison is a significant problem. Karner suggests measures to increasingly remove potential threats from circulation. He highlights the need to reduce the number of radicalized people in Austria and warns that Islamist extremism has increased as a result of international conflicts. The ÖVP, to which Karner belongs, continues to be in conflict with the FPÖ, particularly with regard to the fight against crime and the planned “ban on carrying knives” law (for details on oe24.at to read). The Interior Minister sees large events as still possible despite the security risks.

The disputes between the FPÖ and ÖVP show the different views within the government about how to deal with asylum seekers and the security situation in Austria. Karner is pushing for an overhaul of asylum policy in order to find a regulation that makes it easier to return Syrian refugees. This comes in the context of a significant decline in illegal migration, which Karner attributes to the effectiveness of current security measures. He sharply criticizes Kickl's attitude, which he said failed to thank the emergency services for their work, and accuses him of primarily pursuing his own interests in the political debate.