‘Europe could learn from India in tackling migrant crisis’

"On the migration issue India has experience with migration. I think they had refugees from Bangladesh. So you know how to integrate them, how to deal with them. I think the EU is also tapping into your experience" he said.

The EU can learn from India’s treatment of its refugees, Herbert Krauss, Head of the Department for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (EU) said. Mr. Krauss’s comments were made in the context of the potential for an EU India strategic partnership, while he was interacting with journalists from India who were visiting Vienna as guests of the EU.

“In the migration issue, because India has experience with migration… you have refugees from Bangladesh… so you learn how to integrate, you learn how to deal with them,“ he said. “I heard the EU is also tapping into your experience because there is a plan to conclude a Common Agenda for Migration and Mobility (CAMM) between EU and India. So I think that’s a good project and could be mutually beneficial.”

The CAMM was one of the joint declarations adopted at the 13th India-EU Summit in Brussels on March 30 and covers a range of topics from exploring easier visa regimes for visitors and business people to a potential re-admissions agreement (repatriation of those no longer eligible to stay in a country to their home countries).

Mr. Krauss’s comments come during a week when Austria has found itself in the midst of yet another controversy around its treatment of migrants and borders. On Wednesday, the Austrian parliament passed a controversial making it possible for the government to declare an emergency over the migrant situation, thereby giving border forces summary powers to turn migrants away.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised the assistance European countries had given refugees so far but said he was concerned about the increasingly restrictive measures and alarmed at the growing xenophobia in Austria and beyond, during an address to the Austrian Parliament on Thursday.

Austria, which had the highest number of asylum applications per capita in 2015 (90,000), has also threatened to build a 370 meter fence across the Brenner Pass in the Tyrol alpine region, to control the flow of people from Italy. The Italian government has reacted sharply to this accusing Austria of breaking European principles of mobility. Austria and Italy are part of the passport free Schengen travel region.