Europe could learn from India in tackling migrant crisis: Herbert Krauss

VIENNA: Europe can learn from India in tackling the migrant crisis as the country has experience in dealing with migrants and integrating them, a top Austrian official has said.

As Europe grapples with an unprecedented influx of migrants, there is definitely a strategic partnership between India and the EU, said Herbert Krauss, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Austria, Head of the Department for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (EU).

"Though I am not dealing with our bilateral relations but I was just reading through what our (Austrian) Embassy wrote about the visit of our Foreign Minister and it tells there is lot of potential in India. I think India is definitely up and coming so it is definitely one of our important strategic partners, speaking as a European," he told a group of visiting Indian journalists here yesterday.

"Also for instance in the migration issue because 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 because there is a plan to conclude a common agenda for migration and mobility between India and the EU," he said, adding it is a good project and will be mutually beneficial.

Krauss asserted that "Europe as a whole" can learn from the Indian experience in dealing with the migrants crisis.

Official sources said the migrant crisis was something the EU had never seen before in these dimensions and is something where the EU is "slowly but gradually developing a common line" which is absolutely indispensable.

"Since particularly this migration crisis goes right to the heart of domestic policies - social policies and how do we integrate the migrants and what are the perspectives and how do we manage that, this is something which involves all the aspects -not just of the common security policy but also of EU policies," a source said.
The source said about 400 to 500 Austrians were reported to have gone to fight alongside ISIS in Syria. Seventy of them have returned home and about 40 died.

Since the number was quite large Austria was closely monitoring efforts to integrate migrants in the social milieu and pooling in more resources into anti-radicalisation programmes.

The sources said that in Austria's view the issues in migration that are at stake have to be dealt at the place where they originate from.

"You have the crisis in Syria for instance, as you can tell it is a long drawn out process to achieve some progress. On the humanitarian side much has to be done because there are millions of refugees in the region which in our view it is best to look after them where they were before they set out for Europe with no clear prospect of staying," an Austrian source said.

Noting that social integration of migrants is key, officials said that Austria has stepped up such programmes.

Most of the migrants are from Muslim countries with different cultures so they have to be made aware of our value system, they said.

The number of migrants that Austria accepted last year was 90,000 and there were hundreds of thousands who passed through to Germany and Sweden, sources said.

Asked what was the composition of the migrants, they said the migrants were a mix of Syrians, Iraqis, Afghanis and the rest from diverse regions including North Africa.

There are a number of anti-radicalisation programmes and social integration programmes that are taking place.

These include increasing the number of language courses as those who stay will have to learn the language for jobs.

Austria is one of the first countries to have law on Islamic religion which has now been updated, the sources said.

Sources said there were no immigration ghettos in Austria like in some other European countries as they make efforts to prevent such ghettoisation.

Asked if there were any plans to introduce checks on certain Islamic practices like the veil, officials said there was no restriction in Austria on wearing anything.

Noting that India is a huge market for Austrian business, Krauss said as a "regional power", India is very important for Europe because it is the biggest democracy on earth and has well developed democratic traditions.

"This is also the EU strategy to project democracy worldwide. I think India is a very valid partner for the EU. I was also surprised to see we have a community of 20,000 Indians in Austria. That is quite a number. Indian tourism into Austria is developing fine," he said.