Austria said Thursday it is not
going to build a wall at the Brenner Pass to keep asylum seekers
out. "There is not going to be a wall or barriers, as has been
mistakenly reported," Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang
Sobotka said after meeting with his Italian counterpart,
Angelino Alfano. "If necessary, there will be controls". Alfano
said "we have so far averted a crisis and the closure of the
Brenner Pass". Asked if it was definitive, he said "We have to
work on it".
Italy opposed the idea of Austrian police checking train
passengers on the Italian side of the border, Alfano said.
"We said no to that," Alfano said. He added his ministry
has requested more police and soldiers to "control (asylum
seeker) flows and road and rail routes to the Brenner Pass". He
added Austria "is not going to build a wall" and that Italy
"will prove to Austria it is wasting money" on the barrier it is
setting up at the Brenner Pass.
"Preparatory (barrier-building) will continue in case an
extraordinary flow (of asylum seekers) were to reach Austria,"
Alfano said. He also announced the two countries signed a deal
for their respective border police to communicate on a daily
basis.
Also on Thursday, the European Commission said it is
concerned over Austria's plans to introduce border controls.
"The European Commission follows all the developments in
Europe that go against the schedule to return (to the normal
functioning of the Schengen agreement), in this case with
serious concern," said EC spokesperson Mina Andreeva, adding
that EC President Jean-Claude Juncker will meet Italian Premier
Matteo Renzi in Rome next Thursday.
"The Commission will evaluate any measures decided or
announced by the Austrian government on the criteria of need and
proportionality".
Renzi said Thursday that Austria's idea of introducing
controls at the Brenner Pass to stop it being overwhelmed by
asylum seekers, possibly with the help of a fence, is
"flagrantly against European rules".
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