Austria to build border fence to 'control' refugee movement

Austria intends to build a fence along its border with fellow European Union member Slovenia to slow down the entry of refugees, Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said Wednesday.

Both countries are part of the passport-free Schengen zone and have been key transit countries for tens of thousands of people desperately seeking to reach northern Europe via the Balkans.

“This is about ensuring an orderly, controlled entry into our country, not about shutting down the border,” Mikl-Leitner told public broadcaster Oe1.

The politician of the conservative OeVP party added that the situation risked escalating as people were forced to wait in freezing temperatures for hours before being allowed to cross from one nation into another.

“We know that in recent days and weeks individual groups of migrants have become more impatient, aggressive and emotional. If groups of people push from behind, with children and women stuck in-between, you need stable, massive measures,” she said.

On Tuesday, the minister had already hinted at the construction of the fence during a visit to the Spielfeld border crossing, saying that she was considering “structural measures” to be implemented at the checkpoint.

Last week, she drew strong criticism from opposition members for saying that it was time for the EU to “build fortress Europe.”

But the Socialist Democrats (SPOe), who are in a ruling national coalition with the Conservatives, on Wednesday appeared to side with Mikl-Leitner.

SPOe Defense Minister Gerald Klug said he could imagine barriers and containers at the Spielfeld border “to be able to control the migrants in an orderly manner.”

Slovenia on Tuesday also hinted that it was considering fences on its border with Croatia. 

The movement of people into Europe over the west Balkans land route has shifted from Hungary to Slovenia since Hungary erected a fence along its border with Serbia last month. 

More than 700,000 people fleeing war and misery have reached Europe's Mediterranean shores so far this year, with a majority coming from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

From Greece, they begin a grueling trek through the western Balkans and central Europe in the hope of reaching the EU's economic powerhouse Germany, the preferred destination for many people. 

Wire services