Austrian chancellor to appeal EU over refugee intake via relocation program

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern on Tuesday announced plans to make an appeal to the EU so that Austria does not have to take part in the refugee relocation program, local media reported.

The chancellor intends to make the case in written form that Austria be given an exemption from the plan, according to which Austria must accept about 1,900 refugees from Greece and Italy. He claims that as a result of illegal entries, Austria has in effect already fulfilled this quota.

He noted that he does not wish to act as an "agent provocateur" within the EU, or to bring about a legal case against Austria for breaching the agreement.

Kern further conceded that having the appeal approved will be difficult.

The issue has recently been subject to considerable debate within the coalition government.

Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Sobotka from the center-right People's Party had openly admitted he was not happy with the program but acknowledged Austria had to honor the agreement it made. He had just last week also given his Italian counterpart Marco Minniti an assurance it would go ahead.

In response, however, Minister of Defence Hans Peter Doskozil from Kern's Social Democrats spoke out against the move, arguing that Austria already takes in a high number of refugees per capita, and that efforts to shut down illegal migration must be intensified.

On Tuesday, the debate continued with Doskozil reiterating that while the agreement does foresee a fair distribution of refugees, his country is overburdened.

Social Democrats party whip Andreas Schieder said it is time for other countries to step up and take in refugees. Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner from the People's Party was more pessimistic, stating he did not believe the appeal would be successful. Endit