Austria eyes stricter asylum, border laws

Austria is adopting tougher measures to limit the number of new asylum requests.

Legislators in Vienna are expected to pass an amendment on Wednesday that allows the government to adopt emergency measures if the number of arrivals threatens to overburden Austria's public services.

These measures would include the rejection of all asylum seekers at borders except for those few who have immediate family in Austria or who face inhumane treatment if they are pushed back to another country.

The centrist coalition government drafted the amendments amid growing popular support for the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPO).

However, the FPO has criticised the bill as too lax and has said that it will oppose it.