The Slovenia Times

Slovenia stresses its opposition to Austria's border checks

Politics

Ljubljana - Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar reiterated Slovenia's position of opposing Austria's border checks on their joint border on Thursday, nearly a fortnight after an Austrian administrative court decided that the border checks, which have been in place since 2017, are unlawful.

Such control of the border can only be of limited duration and must be in line with the principle of proportionality, Bobnar said after a government session, adding that Austria's actions were inadmissible.

Bobnar also said that Slovenia was "absolutely against" border checks, adding that the country made its position clear also at the most recent meeting of EU ministers responsible for internal affairs and justice.

The provincial Administrative Court of Styria decided on 1 June that border checks which Austria introduced in 2017, after the migration crisis, are unlawful.

The border checks were introduced in November 2017, with Austria stating terrorist threat as the reason for the measure. As of 12 May Austria changed the reason for border checks to threat of weapons smuggling from Ukraine.

The court also said in its decision that any EU member state can reintroduce border checks immediately after the stipulated 6-month period runs out if it faces a new serious threat affecting its public order or internal security.

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