Austria begins returning asylum seekers to Italy under new EU rules

Austria has begun returning asylum seekers to Italy, following similar moves by Germany and Switzerland, according to reports by Italian media on Wednesday.

Four people have been returned to Italy since the EU’s new Asylum and Migration Pact came into force on June 12, the ANSA news agency reported, citing Austria’s Interior Ministry.

The four cases involved those whose asylum claims were considered the responsibility of another EU country under the so-called Dublin rules.

Under those rules, the EU country where an asylum seeker first entered the bloc is generally responsible for examining the application. People who travel on to another member state and apply for asylum there can therefore be transferred back to the country responsible for the case.

The four returned by Austria were transferred using public transport.

Under the new rules, authorities can provide people who are required to leave a country with a train or bus ticket to return to the EU member state responsible for the asylum procedure.

The Austrian transfers are part of the implementation of the new EU asylum system, which sets out rules for determining which member state should handle an asylum application.