Paris/Vienna – Austria and France have joined forces to push for stricter asylum policies and the possibility of deportations to Afghanistan, despite the country’s unstable conditions, reported by “der Standard”. This was the main focus during a meeting in Paris on Monday between Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and his French counterpart Bruno Retailleau.
Karner emphasized that a “firm but fair asylum policy” must also include deportations, stating that Austria, France, and Germany are working closely together to make returns to Afghanistan legally and practically possible.
Both ministers also agreed that the European Union’s new migration and asylum pact should be implemented quickly. According to a statement from Austria’s Interior Ministry, some areas of the pact may still need to be tightened to ensure stronger border control and faster deportations.
Another key point discussed was the creation of return centers in third countries—safe countries outside the EU where rejected asylum seekers could be sent. Both France and Austria believe such centers are urgently needed to ease pressure on Europe’s asylum systems.
In a separate meeting in Paris, Austrian Minister for European Affairs Claudia Plakolm met with French European Minister Benjamin Haddad. Their talks focused on fighting radicalization, antisemitism, and online hate speech. Austria and France plan to launch a joint initiative at the next EU Council meeting in Brussels to address these growing concerns.
As the EU continues to face rising migration challenges and security threats, Austria and France are calling for stronger rules, more cooperation, and bold actions to protect both borders and democratic values.
