Democracy & Justice

Austria to Seize Migrants' Phones for 'Identity Checks'

Asylum seekers in Austria will have to hand over their mobile phones to authorities for identity checks under a newly agreed government proposal. Up to €840 of their money may also be seized to pay for their upkeep as...

by LibertiesEU

Asylum seekers in Austria will have to hand over their mobile phones to authorities for identity checks under a newly agreed government proposal. Up to €840 of their money may also be seized to pay for their upkeep as they wait for their asylum claims to be processed. If an applicant is found to have previously entered another EU country where the Dublin regulation is in force, they could be sent back to that country. Austria's far-right governing party, the Freedom Party, is not alone. Denmark, Germany and Switzerland have also permitted the confiscation of valuables belonging to refugees.

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