Austrian leader praises UK's efforts on migration, cites plans for deportations to Rwanda

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Austria's leader on Tuesday hailed Britain as a "pioneer" in outsourcing asylum procedures to countries outside Europe, citing a proposed British law aimed at sending migrants to Rwanda while receiving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Vienna. .

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservative party has long taken a hard line on migration and faces a stiff challenge from the far-right Freedom Party in elections scheduled for this autumn.

Nehammer said Austria and the United Kingdom, which left the European Union in 2020, are "strategic partners when it comes to being able to carry out asylum procedures in safe third countries.”

“The United Kingdom is a pioneer in this direction, which will also be important for the European Union,” he said at a joint press conference with Sunak. "With the Rwandan model, it is a pioneer for us to be able to launch an asylum procedure in safe third countries on the agenda of the European Union as well. Europe. This call came after EU countries approved sweeping reforms to the bloc's broken asylum system.

In late April, the British Parliament passed a law to send some migrants to Rwanda, paving the way for flights this summer under Sunak's regime. controversial plan to deter people desperate to reach the UK from crossing the Channel at risk. are committed to continuing to fight against this policy, which they consider unethical and inhumane.

Sunak said that “we must look for new ideas, solutions and deterrents – referrals to safe third countries – like the UK's pioneering project in Rwanda”

“It is increasingly clear that many other countries we now agree that this is. approach that is needed: bold, new, seeking partnerships with safe countries," Sunak said.

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