The Austrian minister on the EU response to the migration crisis in Lithuania – this is an absolutely wrong signal

So far, there has been no specific assistance at the government level from these countries. However, Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP of the Austrian People’s Party) has now reacted decisively.

In an interview with the country’s daily Die Presse and the regional press, he publicly rebuked European Union leaders for the Community’s lack of concern for the protection of its borders and its insufficient support for Lithuania’s efforts to do so.

The Austrian politician promised help to Lithuania: “We are sending a special” Cobra “police team to the Lithuanian border, because Belarus is transporting thousands of immigrants across the border to put pressure on the Baltic states.”

Nehammer said that the fact that the European Union was willing to support Lithuania only by funding migrant reception centers and not helping to build the border was “an absolutely wrong sign.”

“The European Commission is currently moving in the wrong direction. The European political asylum system has collapsed,” the minister said.

According to the Austrian politician, the best recipe would be “faster political asylum processes, protection of external borders and return of migrants to their countries of origin.”

It is the return that would be an important signal for the countries of origin. It would then be clear to potential migrants that “it makes no sense to put $ 5,000 down the throats of organized criminals.”

As the country’s security services have recently captured more illegal immigrants at the Hungarian border, Austria is taking steps to send 400 more soldiers to the border, Interior Minister Nehammer and Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner said. . From now on, a total of 1,400 soldiers on patrol will support the Austrian border police.

Austria, Greece and Slovenia sent humanitarian aid to Lithuania

Lithuania, which is experiencing an influx of illegal immigrants from Belarus, received humanitarian shipments from Austria, Greece and Slovenia on Monday, the Interior Ministry reported.

Like other countries, Austria, Greece and Slovenia also sent basic necessities to accommodate the migrants: beds, blankets, pillows, mattresses, generators.

The Minister of the Interior, Agnė Bilotaitė, highlighted that Lithuania was facing the lack of necessary measures for the accommodation of migrants and appreciated the support provided.

“Until now, we have used tents and other necessary items from the state reserve, but it is for the needs of our population, should the need arise, so we must ensure that there are always enough facilities for our people. Therefore, without the decrease in migratory flows, the support of our foreign partners is very important to us ”, says A. Bilotaitė.

Last week, humanitarian aid was sent to Lithuania from Sweden, Croatia and Poland, and shipments arrived from the Czech Republic and Estonia on Saturday.

This year, 2,730 illegal immigrants arrived in Lithuania from Belarus, and most of those detained seek to enter Western European countries through Lithuania. Lithuania has declared an emergency situation due to the influx of illegal immigrants.