# Austrian migration and asylum policy debate > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/austrian-migration-and-asylum-policy-debate > Updated: 2026-08-28T15:26:02.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has proposed a series of security and migration policy shifts, including the expansion of ankle monitors for violent offenders and updates to espionage laws. A primary focus of his agenda is the establishment of asylum return centers in third countries, such as those in Asia or Africa, to house convicted criminals and individuals without legal residency. Karner indicated that this project involves a ‘Group of Implementers’ including Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, and Denmark, with the goal of finalizing a partner agreement by the end of the year. In response to current migration management, Andreas Bors, a security and asylum spokesperson for the FPÖ in Lower Austria, criticized the administration. Bors highlighted a significant increase in asylum applications between 2018 and 2022 and contested the national government’s management of asylum quarters, noting that local authorities in Lower Austria are actively closing quarters as soon as they are no longer required. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-28: FPÖ official criticizes Karner over asylum policy FPÖ official Andreas Bors criticized Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, citing a massive rise in asylum applications and defending Lower Austria's local asylum management. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fp-official-criticizes-karner-over-asylum-policy ### 2026-08-21: Gerhard Karner seeks agreement on return centers and ankle monitors Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner is seeking agreements on expanding ankle monitors for offenders and establishing asylum return centers in third countries to manage migration. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gerhard-karner-seeks-agreement-on-return-centers-and-ankle-monitors --- Cite as: Austrian migration and asylum policy debate. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/austrian-migration-and-asylum-policy-debate