Chancellor Karl Nehammer is considering having the borders with Italy controlled due to current refugee movements. For this he received harsh criticism from Rome. The Italian deputy prime minister even speaks of a “slap in the face”.
The right-wing extremist Matteo Salvini criticizes the government in Vienna’s plans to introduce extraordinary controls at the borders with Schengen partner Italy. “The Austrian government’s decision to tighten controls on vehicles from Italy is a slap in the face to the European solidarity invoked yesterday in Lampedusa,” Salvini wrote in a press release on Monday. The Lega leader described Nehammer’s announcement as a serious insult to the Italian police forces and volunteers who have been committed to defending Europe’s borders for years. “These controls carry the risk that the traffic situation on the Brenner Pass will become even worse and will be hindered by unlawful and discriminatory bans,” criticized Salvini. “If Vienna wants to act as a champion of European legality in the area of migration, it should have resources and personnel send to the Mediterranean for help. It is too easy to build fortresses in the Alps and punish workers such as truck drivers and tourists while Italy is fighting the smugglers,” commented Salvini. Nehammer is considering border controls At the weekend, due to the situation in Lampedusa, Chancellor Nehammer had extraordinary controls at the Schengen borders. Partner Italy promised.Tyrol’s police chief Helmut Tomac told krone.at that the events in Lampedusa have not yet had any noticeable impact. “We are monitoring the situation; priority checks are planned on the streets and in the trains.” However, the number of refugees is currently at the usual level.
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