A total of 870 people took part in the joint priority action, 350 from the Austrian police, 70 from the Hungarian and 450 from the Austrian army. It took place on three control levels: on the Hungarian side, directly at the border and with patrols in Austria. Among other things, drones and the thermal imaging vehicle “Husar” were used. Most refugees are currently apprehended in the districts of Neusiedl am See, Oberpullendorf and recently also in the district of Güssing.
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The number of asylum applications and those who were smuggled are “dramatic” and the highest number of refugees apprehended is in Burgenland, the minister stated. “Priority actions like this are extremely important, combating people smuggling is at the top,” said Karner, who assumes that many more will be needed. Experts would say that up to 80 percent of those apprehended come to Europe via smuggling.
According to Karner, there are measures on several levels, such as the priority actions on Austria’s border or at the European level the meeting of interior ministers next week, where he wants to focus on the topic. The minister also pushed for external border protection, rapid asylum procedures and procedures in third countries outside the EU – as the Burgenland governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) had demanded.
Another measure is cooperation with the police on the Serbian-Hungarian border. Austria will have sent 50 officials there by mid-July. “If we want to have robust external border protection, we also have to do something,” said Karner.
According to Tatzgern, head of the central office for combating human smuggling in the Federal Criminal Police Office, refugees in Bosnia/Herzegovina are being hidden in truck tanks and there has recently been an armed conflict between groups of human traffickers on the Serbian-Hungarian border. “Migration pressure is very high and the smugglers are trying to take advantage of that.” Currently, the migration pressure – unlike in comparison to 2015 – is steadily increasing. Another difference compared to this year is that the individual states in the Western Balkans are now doing everything they can to combat illegal migration. The information campaigns of the interior departments abroad, which are intended to prevent people from setting off with people smugglers, “are noticed,” says Tatzgern. At the same time, however, the smugglers would spread fake news and advertise themselves on TikTok – also armed to feign protection.
The Burgenland State Police Director Martin Huber reported that 126 people smugglers were arrested in the first six months of the year. According to Huber, while a year ago around 300 to 400 refugees were apprehended every month, the current figure is 200 a day. He also referred to measures such as border surveillance, joint priority actions and the new technology of the criminal police.
