Austria will build Slovenia border fence
Migrant influx leads to countries shifting opinion on EU barriers
VIENNA — Austria, a strong critic of fences built to cope with Europe’s migrant influx, on Wednesday announced it is joining other nations that have either already erected border barriers or are planning to do so.
Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner insisted the move was aimed solely at bringing order to the unrelenting influx of people entering the country, telling parliament there were no plans “to build a fence around Austria.”
The project is a major shift for the country, which has preached the sanctity of unimpeded internal EU borders since the migrant crisis intensified earlier this year, and Mikl-Leitner herself used the world “fence” in comments announcing construction plans at the border.
It is likely to run into domestic and international criticism for the signal it sends to other nations struggling to cope with tens of thousands of desperate people moving though their nations. And it could ignite a chain reaction along the land route in Eastern Europe used by those seeking a better life in prosperous European Union countries.
Slovenia, the main entry point into Austria, also said it was ready to build a fence, while Hungary has been championing the success of its razor-wire border fences with Serbia and Croatia and plans another one with Romania.
Greece already erected a barbed wire fence three years ago on a section of its border with Turkey not separated by a river. Bulgaria also has fenced off parts of its boundary to Turkey, while some Baltic states plan to erect fences on border segments with Russia.
But all of these existing or planned fences are either on outer EU borders or between two EU countries where one is not yet part of the Schengen Agreement meant to ensure the free movement of persons. The Austria-Slovenia border is part of the agreement and any barriers erected on it would be closely watched for possible violations.
Seeking to defuse the controversy, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann refused to characterize the planned measures as a fence, repeatedly avoiding the word in a television news interview despite being reminded that it was used by his interior minister. Mikl-Leitner told parliament that the construction of “technical barriers” would begin after about 10 days of planning but gave no exact date for the start of the project.
Since Hungary sealed its borders with Serbia and Croatia on Sept. 15 and Oct. 17, thousands of refugees have been flowing into Slovenia daily. From there, they go to Austria with many continuing on to Germany.
Slovenian officials, who say their small nation cannot cope with the influx, have warned for days they would take action if Austria or Germany tried to close off their borders.
Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar firmed up those plans Wednesday.
“If necessary, we are ready to put up the fence immediately” if a weekend plan by EU and Balkan leaders fails to stem the migrant surge, he said.