Austrian leader lauds UK’s efforts on migration and cites its plan for deportations to Rwanda

VIENNA (AP) — Austria’s leader has praised Britain as a “pioneer” in outsourcing asylum proceedings to places outside Europe, citing a U.K. bill to deport migrants to Rwanda. The remarks came as Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer hosted British hosted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday. Nehammer’s conservative party has long taken a hard line on migration and faces a strong challenge from the far-right Freedom Party in an election expected this fall. He said Austria and the U.K., which left the European Union in 2020, are “strategic partners when it comes to being able to conduct asylum proceedings in safe third countries.”