SPÖ-Reisinger/Kovacs: „What are you doing about smuggling, Mr. Karner?“
Vienna (OTS/SK) – SPÖ security spokesman in the Federal Council Dominik Reisinger and SPÖ Federal Council member from Burgenland Günter Kovacs will submit an urgent request to Interior Minister Gerald Karner during the Federal Council meeting on Thursday. The problem of smuggling in Burgenland has been known for years, and there has been an increase in arrests of smugglers and incidents involving smugglers and law enforcement in the past six months. By the end of 2023, there were 30,000 apprehensions of refugees in Burgenland alone, as well as 289 arrests of smugglers – almost half of the approximately 600 nationwide arrests. In light of these numbers, the SPÖ Federal Council faction asks the question, „What are you doing about smuggling, Mr. Karner?“
Dominik Reisinger criticizes the ÖVP and FPÖ for their hypocritical pandering to Viktor Orbán, who is directly responsible for the situation in Burgenland: „While Kickl and Nehammer are cozying up to Viktor Orbán and each other, Orbán sends asylum seekers across the Burgenland border day after day. This FPÖVP friend is constantly in violation of EU law and acts completely unsolidaristically towards Austria. He is thanked with joint photos and migration summits by Karner and Nehammer. Blue and black are completely discredited by this! The only way to effectively combat smuggling in Europe is through a solidarity-based distribution among EU states, which would greatly relieve Austria. Orbán must finally be legally held accountable for this.“
Günter Kovacs points to the dire situation in Burgenland for which the Interior Minister is responsible and offers no solutions: „In the past two years, five refugees have died in Burgenland due to the brutality of smugglers, and dozens have been seriously injured. There are attacks on law enforcement, pursuits, and traffic accidents – including fatalities – which further increase fear and insecurity among the population. The responsible Ministry of the Interior should have long since sounded the alarm bells. The situation has become unacceptable for the affected population in Burgenland, as well as for law enforcement officers and the Federal Army. The wheeling and dealing with Orbán has not changed this situation in the slightest.“
Reisinger and Kovacs demand that the Interior Minister take immediate action to address the issue of smuggling and improve the security situation in Burgenland.
Table:
Number of Refugees Apprehended in Burgenland (January-December 2023): 30,000
Number of Smugglers Arrested in Burgenland (January-December 2023): 289
Total Nationwide Smuggler Arrests (January-December 2023): 600
Quelle: SPÖ-Parlamentsklub / ots
