2 October 2015, 12:06 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Ten of Austria’s 27 prisons are heavily overcrowded due to the number of migrant smugglers being held in custody awaiting trial, local media reported Tuesday.
The Eisenstadt prison has been subjected to the greatest influx of people smugglers, as many were caught trying to cross the border from Hungary into the Burgenland state of Austria, the newspaper reported.
One of the Eisenstadt prison's wings, which is designed to accommodate 78 inmates, is currently crammed with 120, according to the newspaper.
Europe is currently facing an enormous migration crisis as hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing violence and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa seek refuge in the bloc.
According to Eurostat, Hungary, Sweden and Austria have accepted the largest share of refugees — 9,929, 5,052 and 3,328 per 1 million local residents, respectively.
