Austria, which has been at the forefront of opposition within the European Union to Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen Zone for free movement, said on Monday that it might change its mind, but only for air travel, in exchange for strengthening security at the EU’s external borders.
In a meeting of interior ministers of the European bloc a year ago, in which both countries hoped to be admitted to the world’s largest area for barrier-free travel, Austria said that illegal immigration is still too high, and Romania and Bulgaria need to do more.
The Austrian conservative party, the People’s Party, has long asserted that combating illegal immigration is a key issue in its campaign.
Parliamentary elections are expected next year, and the far-right Freedom Party shares a similar stance.
It currently leads in public opinion polls.
“Yes, I can imagine changes, as long as they only concern airports, in connection with Romania and Bulgaria,” Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Radio ORF, adding that Austria’s position has been forwarded to the European Commission, and the ball is now in court.
“On the other hand, there are clear conditions for this, mainly the increase in the protection of the EU’s external borders, border controls continue to be enforced, and asylum seekers are transferred to Bulgaria and Romania,” he said, referring to people passing through these two countries into Austria.
If his conditions are met, he said that passport controls between Romania, Bulgaria, and the Schengen states could be avoided, but only for air travel – a solution he referred to as “Air Schengen”.
