Asylum: The EU Commission is cautious about Karner’s proposal

The EU Commission is cautious about the Austrian government’s ideas about outsourcing asylum procedures to third countries. Asylum laws currently apply only to asylum applications submitted on European territory and not outside it, a spokeswoman for the Brussels authority answered a question from journalists.

The Commission’s position on this matter is “clear.” The spokeswoman did not say whether the plans clearly violate EU law. These plans came about a week ago during British Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s visit to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner in Vienna.

It was also about plans by the Conservative government in London to deport people who have entered the UK illegally to Rwanda in East Africa so they can apply for asylum there. A British court had already ruled in June that Rwanda could not be considered a safe third country. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government appealed the decision.

At the meeting, Karner called for a discussion at European level on “how to change the rules” to enable cooperation with third countries. A statement issued by the Ministry of the Interior a week ago said: “Austria has shown great interest in the partnership between Great Britain and Rwanda.”