Austria's interior minister meets Kosovo girl

Austria's interior minister met quietly this weekend with a Kosovo girl refusing to leave the country.

Izvor: AP

Monday, 15.10.2007.

11:05

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Austria's interior minister met quietly this weekend with a Kosovo girl refusing to leave the country. Her plight had touched off a nationwide debate over the country's restrictive residency laws, local media reported Sunday. Austria's interior minister meets Kosovo girl Guenther Platter, criticized for his tough stance on immigration, reportedly assured 15-year-old Arigona Zogaj that "under no circumstances" would she be returned to Kosovo against her will, like her father and four siblings were late last month, the Austria Press Agency, public broadcaster ORF and several newspapers said. Calls to Platter's office went unanswered Sunday. Platter has come under mounting pressure for authorizing the Zogaj family's deportation under a law that took effect in January 2006 and sets stricter guidelines on qualifying for residency. The drama sparked a national debate when Arigona released a letter and video in which she threatened to kill herself unless her family is reunited in Austria, where they had lived since 2001. Demonstrations against the government since have been staged, and parliament convened a special session last week to debate the issue. Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik was the latest to take a jab at Platter, telling the daily Kurier in a story for Sunday's editions that his interpretation of the law was excessive. "We need strict laws, but we don't need to be hard," she was quoted as saying. Platter's meeting with Arigona took place in the province of Upper Austria, where she has been staying with a Catholic priest since going into hiding after her family was deported, local media said. Her mother, who was allowed to stay in Austria after Arigona disappeared, was released from a hospital last week after suffering a nervous breakdown.

Austria's interior minister meets Kosovo girl

Guenther Platter, criticized for his tough stance on immigration, reportedly assured 15-year-old Arigona Zogaj that "under no circumstances" would she be returned to Kosovo against her will, like her father and four siblings were late last month, the Austria Press Agency, public broadcaster ORF and several newspapers said.

Calls to Platter's office went unanswered Sunday.

Platter has come under mounting pressure for authorizing the Zogaj family's deportation under a law that took effect in January 2006 and sets stricter guidelines on qualifying for residency.

The drama sparked a national debate when Arigona released a letter and video in which she threatened to kill herself unless her family is reunited in Austria, where they had lived since 2001.

Demonstrations against the government since have been staged, and parliament convened a special session last week to debate the issue.

Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik was the latest to take a jab at Platter, telling the daily Kurier in a story for Sunday's editions that his interpretation of the law was excessive.

"We need strict laws, but we don't need to be hard," she was quoted as saying.

Platter's meeting with Arigona took place in the province of Upper Austria, where she has been staying with a Catholic priest since going into hiding after her family was deported, local media said.

Her mother, who was allowed to stay in Austria after Arigona disappeared, was released from a hospital last week after suffering a nervous breakdown.

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