Austria has deployed armoured vehicles close to its border with Italy and will send up to 750 soldiers to guard the frontier against migrants, the government said on Tuesday.
The move reflects deep concern in Vienna and elsewhere in Europe over the huge number of asylum seekers who continue to cross the Mediterranean from the coast of Libya – so far this year more than 85,000 have been rescued and brought to Italy.
Austria plans to increase border controls at the Brenner Pass, a key trade and transport route through the Alps that connects the two countries.
The 750 soldiers could be rushed to the border within 72 hours if there was a migration emergency, officials said.
"I expect border controls will be introduced very soon," Peter Doskozil, the defence minister, told the newspaper Kronen Zeitung. His spokesman said there was no concrete timetable for the new controls.
"But we see how the situation in Italy is becoming more acute and we have to be prepared to avoid a situation comparable to summer 2015." ...
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