VIENNA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Austria is to tighten its immigration procedures at airports in order to identify Islamic State (IS) fighters returning from the Middle East, Interior Minister Herbert Kickl has announced.
In an interview with Kronen Zeitung, Austria's largest newspaper, Kickl said as IS is on the verge of military defeat, many fighters and other persons involved will now be trying to return home, including back to Austria.
He said all persons arriving at airports will be required to go through the security gates with headscarves removed, and that certain flights will be closely looked at, particularly those originating from Turkey and the Middle East.
Border patrol units will also be on the lookout for persons entering via land routes.
The minister argued that persons with alleged links to IS terror networks should be sent to tribunals in the Middle East, such as in Syria, rather than back home in Austria.
He added that Switzerland is already on board with this suggestion, and that more pressure should be put on the international community to see the idea through.
