Austrian Federal Minister of Interior Gerhard Karner met his Italian counterpart Matteo Piantedosi for a working meeting in Vienna on 27 March 2024. The agenda of their discussions focused on combating human smuggling and addressing asylum misuse.

“A crucial and central topic of today's discussion was the joint fight against illegal migration and the joint fight against the smuggling mafia in Europe,” Federal Minister of Interior Gerhard Karner said after the meeting. The agreed Pact on asylum and migration, in which Austria had cooperated closely with Italy, was a step in the right direction. It is now important to implement the Pact quickly.

“In addition to a functioning EU external border guard and fast procedures at these external borders, cooperation with safe third countries is essential,” the Austrian Minister also emphasized.