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Austrian Rail Operator Resumes Service to Germany Austrian Rail Operator Resumes Train Service to Germany
(34 minutes later)
BERLIN — The police in Germany carried out checks on trucks and cars entering the country from Austria although train service between the two countries was restored early Monday, a day after the authorities in Berlin decided to tighten the borders in an effort to slow the influx of thousands of asylum seekers. BERLIN — The police in Germany were carrying out checks on trucks and cars entering the country from Austria on Monday, as train service between the two countries was restored, a day after the authorities in Berlin decided to tighten the borders to slow the influx of thousands of asylum seekers.
As part of the measures, international service from Austria to Germany had briefly been halted entirely, stranding hundreds of people in the Alpine city of Salzburg, just south of Munich, and many more in Vienna. As part of the measures, international service to Germany from Austria had been briefly halted, stranding hundreds of people in the Alpine city of Salzburg, just south of Munich, and many more in Vienna.
The Austrian rail operator ÖBB said on Monday that regular service on all lines, with the exception of the Salzburg to Munich route, were running again as of early Monday. The Austrian rail operator ÖBB said on Monday that regular service on all lines, with the exception of the Salzburg-to-Munich route, were running again as of early Monday.
The restrictions to the European Union’s border-free Schengen zone by Germany, one of the most ardent proponents of greater European integration in the 28-member bloc, marked an abrupt about-face on the part of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. Last week, she insisted there was “no upper limit” on the number of refugees her country could take in. The restrictions to the European Union’s border-free Schengen zone by Germany, one of the most ardent proponents of greater European integration in the 28-member bloc, amounted to an abrupt about-face on the part of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. Last week, she had insisted that there was “no upper limit” on the number of refugees her country could take in.
The Schengen Agreement, which guarantees passport-free freedom of movement within much of continental Europe, has served as a cornerstone of European unity, along with the euro and a single market. Countries in the Schengen Zone are allowed, however, to temporarily reinstate controls at their borders for security reasons.The Schengen Agreement, which guarantees passport-free freedom of movement within much of continental Europe, has served as a cornerstone of European unity, along with the euro and a single market. Countries in the Schengen Zone are allowed, however, to temporarily reinstate controls at their borders for security reasons.
The measure left thousands of people stranded in Greece, Hungary and Austria. Vienna announced on Monday that it was sending the army to help reinforce its eastern border. Thousands of people there were scrambling to travel west before new laws that would seal off the border take effect. The measures in Germany left thousands of people stranded in Greece, Hungary and Austria. Vienna announced on Monday that it was sending the army to help reinforce its eastern border. Thousands of people there were scrambling to travel west before laws that would seal off the border take effect.
Chancellor Walter Faymann of Austria said Germany’s move had sent a “clear signal” that the country was straining under the influx of humanity, but he added that no asylum seekers had been turned back to Austria from the German border. Chancellor Werner Faymann of Austria said the move by Germany had sent a “clear signal” that the country was straining under the influx of migrants, but he added that no asylum seekers had been turned back to Austria at the German border.
The new measures led to severe backups in traffic on main highways leading to Germany from Austria overnight Monday and into the morning as the police rigorously carried out checks. Officers eased up into as the day wore on, however, and only carried out spot checks on vehicles entering Germany. The new measures led to severe backups in traffic on highways leading to Germany from Austria overnight and Monday morning, as the police rigorously carried out checks. Officers eased up as the day wore on, however, and only carried out spot checks on vehicles entering Germany.
Horst Seehofer, governor of deeply conservative Bavaria, had criticized the chancellor for her open-door policy toward migrants, under which his state, which borders Austria, had been straining. More than 25,000 migrants arrived in Bavaria over the weekend. Sigmar Gabriel, Ms. Merkel’s deputy and the minister for economy, said in a letter to members of his center-left Social Democrats that Germany could face the arrival of an even greater number of migrants this year than previously expected.
“There is no order, there is no system and in a country governed by the rule of law, that is a cause for concern,” Mr. Seehofer told reporters on Sunday. He had pushed for the border checks to be reinstated in an effort to stem the flow long enough to establish an improved system of housing and handling the thousands of newcomers. “There are many indications that in this year we will not see 800,000 refugees, as predicted, but a million,” Mr. Gabriel wrote.
“We need better controls in general, because we have determined that in recent days, many of those on the move are really not refugees,” Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister for Bavaria state, which borders Austria, told local public television, Bayrische Rundfunk. “Germany is strong and can handle a lot,” Mr. Gabriel wrote. “Nevertheless, in the past few days we have experienced how, despite our best efforts, our abilities have reached their limits.”
That view appeared to give some credence to more recalcitrant countries like Hungary, which have been arguing that robust border controls are needed amid concerns that many migrants coming to Europe are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees fleeing conflict or strife. Horst Seehofer, the premier of Bavaria, a deeply conservative state, had criticized the chancellor for her open-door policy toward migrants, under which his state, which borders Austria, had been straining. More than 25,000 migrants arrived in Bavaria over the weekend.
It was not immediately clear how long the other measures would remain in effect. They were defined as “temporary” by the German interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, when he announced late Sunday that border controls would begin again. “There is no order, there is no system, and in a country governed by the rule of law, that is a cause for concern,” Mr. Seehofer told reporters on Sunday. He had pushed for the border checks to be reinstated in an effort to stem the flow long enough to establish an improved system of housing and handling the thousands of newcomers.
“We need better controls in general, because we have determined that in recent days, many of those on the move are really not refugees,” Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria, told a local public television, Bayrischer Rundfunk.
That view appeared to give some credence to more recalcitrant countries, including Hungary, which have been arguing that robust border controls are needed amid concerns that many migrants coming to Europe are economic migrants, rather than refugees fleeing conflict or strife.
It was not immediately clear how long the other measures would remain in effect. When Thomas de Maizière, the German interior minister, said late Sunday that border controls would begin again, he described them as “temporary.”
Mr. Herrmann said the controls, which focused primarily on Germany’s border with Austria, would remain in place for “at least a week.”Mr. Herrmann said the controls, which focused primarily on Germany’s border with Austria, would remain in place for “at least a week.”
Thomas Schweikl, a spokesman for the federal police in the Bavarian town of Freyung, said that 31 people smugglers had been arrested since controls began late Sunday.
Several hundred officers, wearing reflective vests and flagging down trucks and cars as they entered Germany, were carrying out the checks near the border. Officers from across the country arrived overnight to help the local police, Mr. Schweikl said.
“There is no way we could manage it on our own,” he said.