But what is the response from Germany?
- Austria to limit number of asylum claims
- Limit to be cut by half from 2015
- “This is Plan B” – Chancellor Faymann
The news
ADVERTISEMENTAustria has announced plans to slash the number of asylum claims it accepts in 2016.
The number will be less than half those processed in 2015.
The government has announced what it calls a “Plan B” for dealing with the arrival of migrants and refugees in the coming year.
Reuters Austria to slash asylum claims, beef up border checks Reuters VIENNA Austria said on Wednesday it would cap… https://t.co/qjoFGgKU2d
— World News Coverage (@WorldNewsCovera) January 20, 2016
Austria Imposes Asylum Cap to Tackle Refugee Crisis https://t.co/0QtHl4cOg1#CPVTS
— Terrorism Analysis (@TerrorismStudy) January 20, 2016
The government plan restricts the number of asylum claims to 1.5 percent of Austria’s population.
The total will be spread over the next four years.
Claims will be capped at 37,500 this year, falling annually to 25,000 in 2019.
Austrian set to cap number of asylum seeker applications it will process each year: https://t.co/FO8cOLeQo8pic.twitter.com/3viMUDLpcq
— The Local Europe (@TheLocalEurope) January 20, 2016
Austrian Chanceller Werner Faymann also told journalists border controls will be stepped up “massively.”
However, he gave no details of how this would be achieved.
Mr Faymann also said he has discussed the plans “in principle” with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and their counterpart in Slovenia.
He referred to it as a “second-best option” while Austria waits for a Europe-wide solution.
This, he said, would involve securing the EU’s external borders, setting up centres to process asylum applications and dispersing successful claimants across EU member states.
He denied that Austria is taking the easy option by saying it cannot accept everyone. “We have a fixed number, a calculable number, an approximate value that we can accept,” he said.
The context
Austria and Germany open borders to refugees travelling through Hungary
— Leroy D Simpson (@LeroyDSimpson) September 19, 2015
Last September, Austria and Germany opened their borders to refugees and migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Afghanistan and other conflict-torn regions.
Austria has a population of 8.5 million. Hundreds of thousands have arrived.
The vast majority crossed the country on their way to Germany. However, a fraction have stayed.
Around 90,000 people, just over one percent of Austria’s population, applied for asylum last year.
Public fears about immigration have fuelled support for the far right. Calls for a cap on numbers by the centre-right People’s Party in the governing coalition have grown.
Last week, the Austrian Interior Ministry said it would start turning away people who had been refused asylum in Germany.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat has Germany said?
#BREAKING: #Merkel says #Germany's inflow of #refugees needs to be noticeably reduced; wants European solution pic.twitter.com/K0ObrdnEwT
— Rodrigo Barbosa (@RodaLarga) January 20, 2016
Neighbouring Germany still favours a joint approach to the problem.
In response to the announcement from the Austrian government, Chancellor Angela Merkel said all countries want to significantly reduce the number of refugees arriving. “I think we should start with tackling the causes of migration and find a European solution. I am sure we will have an open and good debate on that,” she added.
Germany has borne the brunt of Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War.
More than a million people arrived in the country in 2015.
German President: Migrant Cap May Be 'Morally and Politically Necessary' – Newsweek https://t.co/cmrrsE0aR8
— Germany 24×7 (@Germany24×7) January 20, 2016
Speaking in Davos, President Joachim Gauck says Berlin cannot take in everyone who arrives.
ADVERTISEMENTHe added it would not be unethical to limit the numbers accepted.
What they are saying
#Merkel ally reaction to Austria limiting refugee number to 37,500: “we need to do that, too.” CSU leader A.Scheuer pic.twitter.com/91RD94PUa7
— Michaela Kuefner (@MKuefner) January 20, 2016
Now what, Frau Merkel? -> Austria sets upper limit on refugees, fueling German debate. https://t.co/pa8zdqVQ4G
— Achim J. Müllers (@AchimMuellers) January 20, 2016
First Gauck at #Davos, now this: Austria sets 37.5k immigration cap this year (cp. 90k in 2015). Pushes the pressure back on W Balkan states
— Geoffrey Smith (@Geoffreytsmith) January 20, 2016
Austria to cap immigration numbers in warning to other EU members – Europe Online Magazine https://t.co/mQj465RKkr
— Deutsch-Werden.de (@einbuergerung) January 20, 2016
Cap on #refugees in #Austria – Pres of EU-Parl.
MartinSchulz</a> can relate to decision. But: "People fleeing IS or barrel bombs come anyway"</p>— Kai Kuestner (KuestnerK) January 20, 2016