Conservative Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has expressed his opinion in an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that the European border guards service Frontex needs to be deployed to North African countries in a bid to prevent migration to Europe at its root. The chancellor believes that Frontex must obtain a mandate from these countries and use it to end "the dirty business model of human traffickers" and to stop any boats smuggling migrants from departing for the EU.
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He expressed his support for an initiative by the European Commission calling for the number of Frontex personnel to be increased to 10,000, but at the same, time he believes that it must be done quicker than by the 2027 deadline suggested by the EU Commission.
During the interview, Kurz expressed concern over the infighting in the EU over migrant quotas.
"In the EU, there are always morally superior people who think they have to educate the others. I'm very worried about that," he said.
The coalition government, formed between the chancellor's Austrian People's Party and the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party, has taken stern stance on the immigration issue. In accordance with the rotation principle, Austria will be taking over the EU presidency for half a year beginning in July.