Austria proposes using EU armed forces to support border guards

Austria proposed on Thursday using European Union armed forces to support the bloc’s border guards in barring undocumented migrants. The right-wing coalition in Vienna is seeking tougher control of EU land and sea frontiers. Defense Minister Mario Kunasek outlined his plan, based on Austria’s past use of soldiers at its borders, to his EU counterparts at a closed-door meeting in Vienna, stressing that soldiers would be under police control, Reuters reported, citing diplomats. “We have got to protect our borders effectively,” Kunasek told reporters after the meeting. Several EU governments separately expressed concern, reflecting divisions among member states on how to handle migration. Austria, the chair of the EU’s six-month rotating presidency, is determined to push the bloc to prevent any repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis.