Border protection in Burgenland: Additional soldiers against rising migrant numbers!

Border protection in Burgenland: Additional soldiers against rising migrant numbers!

In Burgenland, the security situation on the border to the Hungarian neighboring region is significantly tightened. According to the Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, around 4,500 illegal migrants have so far been taken up this year - a dramatic reduction compared to the almost 30,000 cases in the previous year and over 80,000 in 2022. At a ceremonial meeting for the soldiers, soldiers and police officers committed in border protection, Karner underlined that the measures taken on the right track. The notorious mission of assistance of the Federal Army to support the police is now increased, as it was more recently on the border, as the Interior Minister confirmed at a press conference.

extension of the assistance mission

In order to meet the newly increased challenges, the government plans to send up to 400 additional soldiers to the border. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner informed that the first reinforcements from the Khevenhüller barracks in Klagenfurt will be deployed next weekend. Around 600 soldiers are currently in use. Due to the further 400 reinforcements, the total number will increase to around 1,400 soldiers on the Austrian borders, which also includes a reorganization of the assistance mission in order to be able to react more flexibly to the situation.

The Interior Minister had also criticized the EU practices, which in his opinion show serious security problems at the outdoor borders of the Union, which is reflected in the increasing number of attacks in Austria. In the associated situation center in Burgenland, strategies are to be developed in order to better recognize the illegal border crossing and to prevent tractor activities. In view of these developments, the first reviews against security policy already appeared. In particular, the SPÖ pointed out the failure of the ÖVP when combating irregular migration.

This information was, among other things, through the reporting of orf Burgenland and meinzirk.at reinforced.