Austria to take tougher action to reduce overall immigrationJanuary 12, 2016 - 11:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Austria will take tougher action at its borders to turn away "economic migrants" in order to reduce overall immigration, Chancellor Werner Faymann said, striking a harsher tone on asylum seekers, Reuters reports. Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Afghanistan and elsewhere have entered Austria, many en route to Germany, in the past year. Around 90,000 of those sought asylum in Austria - a country of 8.5 million people - in 2015, around three times more than the previous year, ORF radio said, citing Interior Ministry statistics. "One must transit to a Plan B. That means to intensify policies together with Germany to send back economic migrants and decrease overall numbers," Social Democrat Faymann said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Krone published on Tuesday, Jan 12, according to Reuters. He said Austria needed to explore the legal framework for differentiating between those fleeing war and those who migrate for economic reasons. "One thing is certain in any case: shortly, we will be more active at our borders than today. The Germans will also do more," Faymann said. Once more lenient on accepting migrants, Faymann has come under pressure from his conservative coalition partners and the far-right Freedom Party, which in recent opinion polls won the support of around a third of those surveyed. Last month, Faymann said Austria should step up deportations of people who do not qualify for asylum. In Germany, attacks on women in several cities on New Year's Eve have prompted hundreds of complaints, with police suspicion resting on asylum seekers, putting pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel and her open-door migrant policy. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | SBP instant transfers now available from 190 Russian banks to Armenia To receive money from Russian banks, easywallet users need to go to their easywallet accounts. Lemkin Institute urges Armenia to respect people’s right to dissent The Lemkin Institute has urged the Armenian government to respect people’s fundamental human right to express their dissent. French-Armenian journalist returns to France after 41-day hunger strike Nicolian said on social media on Sunday, June 2 that he needs to improve his health in order to “continue the fight”. Iran’s Red Crescent sends aid to Armenia’s flood-hit regions The Iranian Red Crescent Society has sent humanitarian aid to the victims of deadly floods that hit northern Armenia on May 25-26. |