The focus of the meeting will be the EU Commission action plan for the Mediterranean route. “Austria also wants an action plan (on the Balkan route, pay attention), it’s a legitimate wish, it’s no coincidence,” said Czech Interior Minister and incumbent Council President Vit Rakusan. Schengen is still one of the main priorities of the Czech EU Presidency. Prague supports accepting all three Schengen candidates – Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia – but this was not discussed at today’s meeting and will be discussed on 8 December.

Schinas also called for the inclusion of all three Schengen candidates. All three countries are “doing more than current Schengen members” to prepare. He advised doubters: “Think again,” says Schinas. The Schengen extension brings more security, not less security.

Karner called for concrete steps

Prior to the special meeting, Karner called for five specific points in his letter to EU Home Affairs Commissioners Ylva Johansson and Schinas: first, a pilot project for asylum procedures in EU countries on EU external borders, second, a “refoulement directive” that would make individual judgments no longer needed, third, asylum procedures in safe third countries, fourth, easier removal of protection status under the Procedure Directive even for less serious crimes, and fifth, more support from EU countries for Frontex at EU external borders and in countries third. He also expects further financial support for external border protection from the European Union Commission, said Karner.

Schinas called Austria’s proposal “constructive” and “pointed in our direction,” said EU Commission Vice-President. Austria’s biggest problem was the western Balkan route.

“Unbearable Situation”

“We are facing an unbearable situation in Austria,” said Karner. This year alone, Austria has had more than 100,000 arrests, 75,000 of them undocumented migrants, “even though we are a landlocked EU country. That means something is wrong with the system.” There is a whole problem with the West Balkan route. 40 percent of migrants arrive via Belgrade Airport, another 40 percent by road via Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary, and another 20 percent are distributed via other routes.

With the “Refusal Directive”, Karner wants to avoid examining individual cases for countries where relatives don’t have a chance to get asylum, as he puts it. Karner cited India and Tunisia as examples, from which a large number of asylum applications have come this year.

The debate about the Schengen extension

Regarding the EU Commission’s proposal to expand Schengen to include Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria, Karner reiterated “that I don’t think it makes sense for Austria to have a system that isn’t working – and Schengen isn’t working, it doesn’t have a function – right now to scale up.” Karner: “From the current perspective, I can’t imagine agreeing (to a Schengen expansion, ed.), but that’s just not on the agenda today.” He reiterated that the majority of those arriving had come via the Balkan route, “and Croatia is not the problem.”

Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration, Jean Asselborn, spoke out against not including Bulgaria and Romania in the Schengen area. “The Commission has responded positively to the three countries,” he said. “We can’t say now, we’re only taking one country.” He disagreed with Austria on this point, “the Balkan route is a different matter”.

Karner found support for his demands. He has recently been in intensive contact with the Czech Presidency of the EU Council as well as with Greece, Poland and Lithuania. The interior minister also hopes for relief from the change in Serbia’s visa policy. Belgrade has reacted against Tunisia, and Serbia will also adjust its visa policy towards India by the end of the year. This year alone, Austria received 15,000 applications from India, compared to 200 last year.