Austria lashed out Tuesday at Germany's "contradictory" refugee policy after Berlin sharply criticised Vienna's new daily cap on migrants allowed to pass through the Alpine country.
"Germany should decide which number is acceptable to it," Chancellor Werner Faymann told reporters. A statement added that he wished for a "respectful treatment of Austria's political decisions."
Austria, which last year took in 90,000 asylum-seekers and let almost 10 times as many travel through, last week imposed a daily limit of 80 claims and said only 3,200 migrants could transit to neighbouring states.
The European Union has slammed the asylum cap and on Sunday German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the transit number was too high and that Austria's "unacceptable" move put "extra weight on Germany's back".
But Faymann said Tuesday de Maiziere's attack showed that Germany had a "senseless position", with Berlin tolerating other countries -- notably Greece -- "waving migrants" through.
"Until (the migrants get to) Austria, (Germany) unfortunately looks the other way. Once in Austria it wants to start giving out advice. This kind of advice we can do without," Faymann said.
Reinhold Mitterlehner, vice chancellor, echoed Faymann in a joint news conference, saying that German policy was "contradictory" and that Austria had "no alternative" but to impose its measures.
Faymann reiterated that Austria's unilateral "Plan B" steps were necessary because common efforts by the EU were failing to bear fruit.
"We have to introduce these measures because a timely implementation of the EU's Plan A is not yet in sight," Faymann added.
This was a reference to a deal between Brussels and Ankara, backed by Germany, for Turkey to stop migrants crossing the sea to Greece in exchange for billions of euros in aid.
A group of EU countries -- derisively dubbed the "coalition of the willing" by German media -- would then take in migrants flown directly from Turkey.
Mitterlehner said that the number of migrants -- only a few hundred -- shared out so far under a separate EU scheme agreed last year to relocate 160,000 people was "laughable".
Austria's moves have also led to concerns about a dangerous backlog of migrants along the well-trodden path from Greece through countries in the western Balkans.
On Wednesday Austria hosts a meeting of interior and foreign ministers from these countries -- but not Greece, much to Athens' annoyance -- a day before EU interior and justice ministers gather in Brussels.
Austria lashed out Tuesday at Germany’s “contradictory” refugee policy after Berlin sharply criticised Vienna’s new daily cap on migrants allowed to pass through the Alpine country.
“Germany should decide which number is acceptable to it,” Chancellor Werner Faymann told reporters. A statement added that he wished for a “respectful treatment of Austria’s political decisions.”
Austria, which last year took in 90,000 asylum-seekers and let almost 10 times as many travel through, last week imposed a daily limit of 80 claims and said only 3,200 migrants could transit to neighbouring states.
The European Union has slammed the asylum cap and on Sunday German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the transit number was too high and that Austria’s “unacceptable” move put “extra weight on Germany’s back”.
But Faymann said Tuesday de Maiziere’s attack showed that Germany had a “senseless position”, with Berlin tolerating other countries — notably Greece — “waving migrants” through.
“Until (the migrants get to) Austria, (Germany) unfortunately looks the other way. Once in Austria it wants to start giving out advice. This kind of advice we can do without,” Faymann said.
Reinhold Mitterlehner, vice chancellor, echoed Faymann in a joint news conference, saying that German policy was “contradictory” and that Austria had “no alternative” but to impose its measures.
Faymann reiterated that Austria’s unilateral “Plan B” steps were necessary because common efforts by the EU were failing to bear fruit.
“We have to introduce these measures because a timely implementation of the EU’s Plan A is not yet in sight,” Faymann added.
This was a reference to a deal between Brussels and Ankara, backed by Germany, for Turkey to stop migrants crossing the sea to Greece in exchange for billions of euros in aid.
A group of EU countries — derisively dubbed the “coalition of the willing” by German media — would then take in migrants flown directly from Turkey.
Mitterlehner said that the number of migrants — only a few hundred — shared out so far under a separate EU scheme agreed last year to relocate 160,000 people was “laughable”.
Austria’s moves have also led to concerns about a dangerous backlog of migrants along the well-trodden path from Greece through countries in the western Balkans.
On Wednesday Austria hosts a meeting of interior and foreign ministers from these countries — but not Greece, much to Athens’ annoyance — a day before EU interior and justice ministers gather in Brussels.
