Proposal to Keep Refugees on Islands Abolition of Political Asylum Right

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Austria, which is a major destination for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle Easr, had received some 90,000 asylum claims last year alone. After first adopting a welcoming approach to refugees, the country has later changed its policy and said it would limit the number of asylum claims it would accept this year to 37,500.

“The proposal of Austrian Foreign Minister Kurz means nothing more than the outright abolition of the right of political asylum… By adopting the ‘Australian’ solution, the right to file an application for political asylum, and thus the very core of the right to asylum, would be abolished, which is not acceptable,” Gerhard Jansen said.

On Sunday, Kurz, speaking to national daily newspaper Die Presse, suggested that Austria may partially follow the Australian immigration policy model and keep migrants in island camps until their asylum claims have been processed.

Australia detains refugees who come to the country to seek asylum on the islands of Manus in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, a practice which has been criticized by rights groups for leaving refugees living in inhumane conditions.

The Green party spokesperson added that common European approach is the only real feasible and sustainable solution to manage the influx of migrants that flee war and persecution.

“What the EU needs is not more military and walling-off of borders, but a common, functioning asylum system distributing the incoming asylum seekers evenly onto member states and safeguarding effective and sustainable asylum procedures,” Janser stated.