Austrian authorities have announced that the country will join forces with Hungary to combat smuggling and prevent abuse.
According to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, the cross-border cooperation between Austrian and Hungarian authorities is called “Operation Fox”, which stands for a new operational concept, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.
Operation Fox was officially launched last week by order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on December 13, 2022, and since then the authorities have ensured that illegal movements and smuggling of all kinds are prevented.
Speaking about the operation, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Kerner said authorities were doing everything they could to prevent smuggling and abuse of asylum.
“Austrian police officers are tasked with pushing the brakes on asylum consistently and firmly. We must fight the smuggling mafia and prevent abuse of asylum seekers.” Minister Kerner said:
The Austrian Interior Ministry further explained that Operation Fox is intended to be “another piece of the puzzle” in border security, similarly stating that Operation will assist both Austrian and Hungarian authorities in the fight against smuggling. emphasized that
It also revealed that authorities are using available equipment such as drones and helicopters to control movements at the border.
“We will use all available technical means of concealment to ensure maximum effectiveness against organized smuggling crimes. All available high-tech equipment such as thermal imagers, drones, special vehicles and helicopters are used to reduce it.” The ministry’s statement reads:
The ministry said border areas in Burgenland were the most affected, suggesting that the number of people trying to enter illegally continues to be registered the highest. Data show that a total of 47 smugglers and her 10,8000 refugees have been caught in the Burgenland border region and around Andau in the past few months.
Austrian authorities have said that apart from introducing stricter measures at borders to prevent illegal movement of migrants and smuggling activities, they are also willing to provide assistance to other countries to manage the situation. I’m here.
Earlier in November, Austrian officials said they would continue to provide assistance to North Macedonia to protect its border with Greece until the end of 2023.
At the time, the Austrian Ministry of the Interior emphasized the importance of the border region between North Macedonia and Greece, suggesting that cooperation was important in combating illegal immigration and human smuggling.