Austria to deploy ‘Border Protection Unit’ to stop influx of refugees, announces the Internal Security Minister

Vienna: Internal security minister, Herbert Kickl, has announced that the ‘Border Protection Unit’ will be deployed on the border to prevent any situation similar to the one that arose three years ago because of the herds of refugees. This announcement by Kickl looks to be a part of the warning by the Vice Chancellor of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, that the refugees are the cause of increasing crimes in Austria and strict measures shall be taken to prevent that.

The Interior minister Herbert Kickl said ‘We will not allow a repetition of 2015 in Austria again. We have thus instructed to create a border protection unit. The objective is to stop the refugees in some time’. Kickl clarified that the members of the squad will be selected from the Austrian police force.

The ‘Border Protection Unit’ will be used as an alternative force at the Austrian border, informed the minister. He also clarified that Border security and scrutiny of refugees will be the responsibility of the new unit, and will ensure that large influx of refugees is prevented. It is found that in 2015, Austria received about one hundred and fifty thousand refugees, when refugees started to come to Europe.

There is large scale resentment in the Austrian public about the refugees and this was evident in last year’s general elections. ‘People’s Party’ and ‘Freedom Party’ having a strong anti-refugee stance formed the government and are seen to have taken a strong stand against the refugees ever since.

The Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, has forwarded a demand for complete closure of the road from the ‘Western Balkan’ countries to prevent entry of the refugees. Chancellor Kurz has also indicated strong measures against the refugees. The money and the Mobile phones of the refugees will be collected by the government and the process of extraditing the illegal refugees shall gain momentum.

Vice Chancellor, Heinz-Christian Strache has expressed displeasure in the words ‘The time has come that the Austrian people are need to be protected from the refugees coming in to seek safe havens.’

Earlier, Hungary had deployed ‘Border Protection Unit’ in the past to stop refugee influx.