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Austria Ready to Protect Its Borders if German Migrant Deal Becomes Gov’t Policy

© AP Photo / Ronald ZakAn Austrian soldier watches the border for illegally entering migrants (File)
An Austrian soldier watches the border for illegally entering migrants (File) - Sputnik International
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Late on Monday, German Chancellor Merkel finally sealed a deal on migration policy with the country's interior minister, the crisis which threatened stability in the whole Europe.

Austria, which is currently holding rotating presidency in the EU, warned that it is prepared to take measures for the protection of the country's southern borderwith Slovenia and Italy if the agrrement on the migration issue in Germany becomes government policy.

According to the Austrian government, if the deal reached on Monday between Chancellor Angela Merkel and German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is endorsed by the government, "we will be obliged to take measures to avoid disadvantages for Austria and its people."

READ MORE: Austria to Be Tough on Migrants During EU Presidency — Report

The migration consensus in Germany prompted anxiety in Austria, since "Germany wants to take national measures to tackle migration flows," as said in the statement.

Bavaria's State Premier Markus Soeder (L) and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz - Sputnik International
Austrian and Bavarian Leaders Say Migration Issue May 'Ruin Democracy' in EU
The government's statement refers to the deal concluded after tense negotiations between the the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) headed by Merkel and the Christian Social Union (CSU) headed by Seehofer. According to the interior minister, who demanded that Germany must have an opportunity to reject migrants direct at the border, the two conservative parties had agreed to tighten border controls.

In June, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz suggested that Austrian, German and Italian interior ministers form "axis" against illegal immigration, which provoked criticism from France, with its President Emmanuel Macron warning that such "catchphrases" "did not bring luck" to Europe in the course of history.

READ MORE: Austria's President Has Sided With George Soros and Migrants – Hungarian FM

Since 2015 Europe has been facing its worst migration crisis since World War II, triggered by a number of armed conflicts and economic hardships in Africa and the Middle East. The EU has been struggling to accommodate hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war zones, but the measure to distribute the immigration burden among all member-states was not met with enthusiasm by many EU nations.

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