Austria to build Slovenia border fence

By Paul Dallison

Interior minister says border control is needed to ensure “orderly, controlled entry.”

Austria plans to erect a fence along its border with Slovenia to stem the flow of migrants into the country, the Austrian interior minister said Wednesday.
“This is about ensuring an orderly, controlled entry into our country, not about shutting down the border,” Johanna Mikl-Leitner told public broadcaster Oe1.

“We know that in recent days and weeks individual groups of migrants have become more impatient, aggressive and emotional. If groups of people push from behind, with children and women stuck in between, you need stable, massive measures,” Mikl-Leitner, of the center-right Austrian People’s Party, said.
The minister may have the support of the Austrian People’s Party’s coalition partner. Defense Minister Gerald Klug, of the Social Democrats, said he could imagine barriers “to be able to control the migrants in an orderly manner.”
Both Austria and Slovenia have been at the forefront of Europe’s migration crisis, with the latter under increased pressure since Hungary closed its border with Croatia on October 16, leading Croatia to send migrants to Slovenia instead.
Slovenia has struggled to cope, but its government at first maintained that it will keep giving free passage to migrants heading to Austria and Germany. That stance appears to be changing: Asked last week if he would consider building a fence Miro Cerar, the prime minister, told reporters, “We are also considering those options.”
At a meeting on the migration crisis in the Western Balkans on Sunday, the EU agreed to send 400 police officers “within a week” to Slovenia. The tiny country has sent troops to its border with Croatia, and given the soldiers extra powers to detain people and hand them over to police. It also plans to use private security guards to help out at its borders.
The Austrian government’s response to the crisis has met with criticism in neighboring Germany.
“Austria’s behavior has strained neighborly relations. We can and must not treat each other this way,” said Horst Seehofer, leader of Bavaria’s main party, the Christian Social Union, which is the sister party of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats.