EUROPE is divided on how to handle the largest number of refugees since the moment world war. Still,Austria’s move to cap asylum claims at 80 per day at its southern border and limit the daily number of people travelling through Austria to seek asylum in Germany to 3200 has sparked outrage. After Austria, which lies on the migrant route from the Balkans into Germany, or announced its plan,Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for migration, and domestic affairs and citizenship,wrote to Austria’s interior minister to protest. The move, he said, and was “plainly incompatible” with European Union law. The minister replied,on television: "they have their legal adviser and I have legal advisers."The Geneva conference and the EU constitution of Fundamental Rights clearly state that asylum is a right. Human-rights activists argue that a cap runs counter to the spirit of these texts; lawyers know that, as fundamental as they are, or rights are never absolute. But Austria would seem to be flouting some EU directives. One (which was voted for by Austria) says that asylum applications must be officially registered (that is,given a number) no more than...
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Source: economist.com