In asylum dispute, Austrian mayor takes down migrant tents

By PHILIPP JENNE and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

ST. GEORGEN, Austria (AP) — In a standoff over the rising number of asylum-seekers in Austria, the mayor of a small village has defied the federal government and ordered that tents housing migrants be dismantled. After a weeks-long conflict, St. Georgen Mayor Ferdinand Aigner on Monday had more than a dozen tents removed, citing security concerns. The national government has repeatedly criticized the village’s resistance toward housing asylum-seekers. Across Europe, the number of people applying for protection has reached highs not seen since over 1 million people sought refuge seven years ago. That has placed strains on national asylum systems. Berlin has turned a former airport into a temporary refugee shelter for up to 3,600 migrants.