Austria ready to "protect" border with Italy in case of refugee influx

Austria will implement border controls at the Brenner Pass on its shared border with Italy should the refugee influx increase, a senior official confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking to the APA in an interview, the comments from foreign affairs minister Sebastian Kurz follow a similar statement from defence minister Hans Peter Doskozil on Monday.

"We are preparing and will protect our Brenner border if necessary," Kurz said.

He said there is a need for action on the part of both the EU and Italy, and that the overall goal must be a closure of the Mediterranean Sea as a migration route from Africa.

Austria is sending both of these parties a very clear message with its border protection measures, including that a rescue in the Mediterranean does not mean a ticket to Europe.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)