Austria and the Netherlands are "United in Opposition to Schengen Expansion"

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer received Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte yesterday in Vienna to discuss the topic of migration. Austria and the Netherlands opposed in December the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area and, it seems, continue to be on the same wave, the Romanian information site "Ziare" commented today, quoted by BTA.

The Austrian Chancellor and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands emphasized the close ties between the two countries. "We are united in our opposition to the expansion of Schengen at the moment," said Karl Nehammer, quoted by the "Kronen Zeitung", the Romanian news site wrote.

The Netherlands and Austria are preparing to jointly demand solutions to the fight against illegal migration at an EU meeting scheduled for early next month. Nehammer highlighted the importance of this summit. "we've been waiting too long for this to happen," he noted.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands said that he sees a consensus on the subject in the EU, but thinks that it will take several summits to solve this problem.

"When the refugee deal between Turkey and the EU was reached in 2016, it was easier," commented Mark Rutte. According to him, the EU is now facing many problems - Schengen, "Frontex", the Dublin system and repatriation. "We have to go back to the Dublin rules, otherwise Schengen will not survive," Mark Rutte warned.

Under the Dublin Rules, the first EU country a refugee arrives in is responsible for the asylum procedure. In practice, however, this system does not function, notes the Romanian information site "Ziare".

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehamer emphasized the EU's request for financial support for Bulgaria and Greece in...