Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Federal Police Director Michael Takacs described the activities of "Operation Fox", launched in December 2022, as successful. The initiative regulates the joint work of Austrian and Hungarian police in the border area of the province of Burgenland, with the aim of limiting illegal migration, BTA reports.
Last week, only 74 illegal migrants were detained as part of the operation, a significant decrease compared to over 2,000 on a weekly basis two years ago.
Karner emphasized that today very few migrants apply for asylum in Austria, which is now more of a transit country than a final destination. "The goal should be to reduce illegal migration to zero," he said.
According to the minister, there has also been a positive trend in the arrests of traffickers, from 166 arrests two years ago to just 12 this year. In addition, the number of federal reception centers has decreased from 34 to eight, which he said represents a "huge financial relief."
In conclusion, Karner thanked the Austrian and Hungarian authorities for their cooperation and announced that "Operation Fox" would continue in its current form, with the participation of 40-50 police officers if necessary.