The Austrian authorities have decided to keep the internal border controls with Hungary and Slovenia in place for an additional six months.
Sharing the news, Austria’s Ministry of Interior explained that the measure will be extended from today, May 12, 2025, meaning that checks at the Austrian-Hungarian border and the Austrian-Slovenian border will remain effective until November 2025, Schengen.News reports.
Border controls at the Austrian border with Hungary and Slovenia have been in place since autumn 2015. By further extending the measure, the Minister of Interior of Austria, Gerhard Karner, said that the country has a clear goal of reducing irregular migration to zero.
The goal is clear: to reduce illegal migration to zero, and border and border-related controls are an important factor in this.
The Austrian authorities further noted that the aim of this measure is also to put an end to human trafficking and smuggling activities.
Currently, the controls are being conducted both at stationary border crossing points as well as by mobile forces in the border area. As the authorities emphasised, this combination of measures is creating a flexible network to combat the human trafficking mafia.
In addition to Austria, several other Schengen member states have internal border checks in place at the moment. The list of EU/Schengen states carrying out internal border controls: Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia.
Austria Welcomes Germany’s Decisions to Carry Out Increased Border Controls
Germany is one of the member states that has been keeping internal border controls at all its borders for a long time, and just recently decided to tighten the measures.
Commenting on the matter, the Austrian Minister of Interior, Gerhard Karner, said that the country welcomes Germany’s decision to carry out strengthened border controls.
The same stressed that it is very important for both countries to work together in the fight against human trafficking.
Austria has been relying on extensive and intensive measures to protect its borders for years. I therefore welcome Germany’s decision to now also carry out increased controls at its own borders. It is crucial that Austria and Germany pull together in the fight against the human trafficking mafia and implement joint measures for robust protection of the EU’s external borders.
Germany enforced stricter rules on May 6. Under the new measures, Germany will tighten the border controls, which will also include turning away migrants. The aim of this measure is to put an end to irregular migration while maintaining commitments under EU law.