Austria: Nehammer against taking in Afghan refugees

After the radical Islamic Taliban came to power, the Austrian government refuses to accept any further refugees from Afghanistan. The top priority now is "to talk to the neighboring countries of Afghanistan so that protection and help is ensured in the region," said Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) to  Die Welt.

"But illegal migration, which runs through a dozen safe countries and where migrants simply choose a destination, must be stopped," said Nehammmer. "There is no reason why an Afghan should come to Austria now."

For deportation centers in the region
According to Nehammer, Austria wants to continue to hold on to deportations of Afghans. "If deportations are no longer possible due to the limits set by the European Convention on Human Rights, we as the European Union must think of alternatives," he said.

"Deportation centers in the region around Afghanistan would be a possibility."

Rendi-Wagner: "Bizarre, irresponsible"
SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner accused the federal government of “symbolic politics without content” and “missing the topic” in view of the situation in Afghanistan. Instead of trying to alleviate the crisis, deportations are being discussed, criticized Rendi-Wagner. She called for an international Afghanistan conference in Vienna, an EU special envoy and a refugee deal with neighboring countries in the region.

The fact that the Austrian government was busy on the day the Taliban came to power was concerned with how to deport people there, "that is bizarre, that is unbelievable, that is irresponsible," said the SPÖ leader.

She also criticized Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) for not expressing himself. Austria and the EU must now take on a leading role in order to provide the best possible support to the refugees and to contribute to stabilization in Afghanistan.

Source: ORF

Photo: foreigner.fi