Austrian chancellor calls for strict deportation of rejected asylum seekers

Austrian chancellor Werner Faymann Tuesday said asylum seekers whose applications are denied must "strictly" be sent back to countries of origin.

His comments, follow similar comments Monday when he said a distinction must be made between war refugees and economic migrants, and that the latter must be repatriated to lessen the number of refugees overall.

He said that while Austria does function as a constitutional democracy, "we do not preach a 'welcoming culture.'"

"As I said, there must be fewer refugees, and we will only achieve this if all those who do not have a right to asylum are brought back to their home countries.

"They must strictly be deported," he added.

At present tens of thousands of asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected remain in Austria, often because the governments of their home countries do not approve of a repatriation and that the necessary papers for such a return are missing.

Others also find means, often through help of refugee organizations, of refusing deportation.

Faymann said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must immediately forge repatriation agreements "even with countries such as Pakistan and Morocco."

He said the effect of such a plan will deter persons seeking to enter Austria as economic migrants from doing so, if they are aware that such persons will be immediately deported. Endit