Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has cautioned that the European Union’s new asylum and migration pact will not solve all problems immediately, even as member states move forward with plans to tighten migration policies.
Speaking after a meeting of German-speaking interior ministers in Luxembourg, Karner described the talks as detailed and intensive. According to Austria’s Interior Ministry, the discussions focused on how to better manage migration flows and strengthen Europe’s internal security. Karner stressed that while the new pact is an important step forward, it will take time before its full effects are felt.
The EU Asylum and Migration Pact is scheduled to come into force on June 12. In preparation, Austria and Germany have joined forces with the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece to create a joint roadmap for implementation. The group, which calls itself the “group of implementers,” aims to coordinate key measures such as asylum procedures and the establishment of so-called return centers in countries outside the European Union.
Under these plans, migrants who are denied asylum and cannot be returned directly to their home countries would instead be transferred to return centers located in regions near their countries of origin. The goal is to make the return process more efficient while reducing pressure on EU states. However, this approach depends heavily on reaching agreements with third countries willing to host such facilities, which may prove politically and diplomatically challenging.
Karner described external asylum procedures and return centers as “a crucial step” toward making Europe safer and more resilient. At the same time, he acknowledged that the system will not provide quick relief and must be built carefully over time.
The Luxembourg meeting included several high-level officials, among them Luxembourg’s Interior Minister Leon Gloden, Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans, Liechtenstein’s Interior Minister Hubert Büchel, and EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner.
In addition to migration, ministers discussed stronger cooperation against organized crime and international drug trafficking. They agreed on the need to reinforce Europol as a central hub for sharing information across Europe. Strategies to combat cybercrime and rising youth crime were also key topics during the talks.
