In light of the recent events in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Austria is pushing for the future delegation of asylum processing to countries outside the EU. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told the newspaper “Welt” that the legal framework for this has been established through the EU Asylum Pact, stating that words must now be followed by concrete action.
Karner explained that the intention is to prevent images similar to those seen in Ceuta, as well as tragic deaths in the Mediterranean. The incidents in Ceuta have significantly accelerated the plan to handle asylum procedures in third-party states.
Furthermore, Karner added that establishing return centers for rejected asylum seekers and running asylum processes outside of Europe could help prevent the spread of misinformation and combat smuggling operations.
