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Austria unable to reject asylum seekers over limit: official

Xinhua, January 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Designated Austrian defense minister Hans Peter Doskozil said he believes the controversial government-imposed limit on asylum seeker numbers of 37,500 for the current year may not be able to be held.

While other government leaders left the question of the upper limit being exceeded open during its announcement on Wednesday, Doskozil said in an interview with the Oe1 Morgenjournal radio program on Thursday that he is "not hung up on a number."

"For me it is a guideline," he added.

The minister, who assumed his role just last week before which he was a state police chief, said those who apply for asylum in Austria cannot be rejected, even if an upper limited has been breached.

"For me it is not acceptable to reject someone who has applied for asylum in Austria based on a planned figure," he said.

At the same time he acknowledged the government would do its best to meet the set number.

His view differs somewhat from minister of the interior Johanna Mikl-Leitner, who said Wednesday Austria could continue to accept applications past the limit, but would not process them yet. Endit