BERLIN – EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn warned of implications for the Western Balkans of tightening border controls and introducing limitations on the number of refugees to be admitted into Western Europe.
Countries like Serbia must not become a “parking lot” for tens of thousands of refugees if they are not allowed to move on, Hahn said in a statement for the coming issue of Der Spiegel weekly.
Austria has introduced a cap on the number of refugees to accept in the next four years, and will only accept up to 37,500 asylum applications this year.
A completely new system of border management has been introduced at the Austria-Slovenia border crossing at Spielfeld, which provides for registration and thorough control of refugees, as well as sending back those who have no intention to seek asylum in Austria or Germany.