Austrian government plans to deploy troops at the Brenner Pass, the Alpine border crossing betweenAustria and Italy.
VIENNA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- 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.
