Austria extends border controls: fight against tugs and plugs!

Austria extends border controls: fight against tugs and plugs!

Österreich - Austria extended the border controls to the Czech Republic and Slovakia by another six months on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. This measure aims to deter the tractor mafia and combat the spread of the mouth and claw disease (MKS). The Ministry of the Interior announced this decision, which further underlines the existing strategy to contain illegal migration. The aim is to massively reduce illegal migration.

The police will work closely with the health authorities, especially on the border with Slovakia and Hungary. In order to be able to counter this challenge, numerous border crossings were temporarily closed. Inpatient and mobile controls are carried out at the border crossing points to ensure the effectiveness of the measures.

an increased use of the police

For the implementation of these measures, around 40 Austrian police officers are active as part of the "Operation Fox" in Hungary. Your mandate is to combat cross -border crime. The Austrian police officers are also in use in Serbia and support local authorities against tractor activities. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasizes that border controls play a fundamental role in the fight against illegal migration and there are already significant success.

The number of attacks in the Balkan region has decreased drastically in the past 18 months. According to the Interior Ministry, the tractor mafia has withdrawn due to the increased measures from Austria. This can also be seen in the significant reduction in Burgenland, which further confirms the efficiency of the border controls.

European perspective and border protection

In the context of these Austrian measures, it is important to look at developments at EU level. In April 2024, the EU Parliament approved a new procedure for processing asylum applications at the EU external borders. This procedure aims to quickly assess the applications and include rules that determine the conditions under which applications can be declared inadmissible. Among other things, it includes quick procedures for people who may endanger national security or come from countries of origin from which only a few asylum applications are approved.

The measures for control at the limits, as implemented in Austria, are closely related to the new EU requirements that aim to make the asylum procedures more effective and faster. The combination of national and European initiatives is intended to help tackle the challenges of illegal migration and at the same time to ensure the security of the EU.

For more information on this topic, the reports from 5min.at, oe24.at and the European Parliament can be consulted.