Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said today that "visible progress in the protection of the EU's external borders must be made in order for Bulgaria and Romania to be admitted to the Schengen area. "This means that the deployment of the military at the EU's external borders will be significantly increased, especially in Bulgaria, in Turkey, but also in Romania and Serbia, and the land borders will continue to be controlled, especially between Romania and Bulgaria. And these two countries will have to accept refugees, especially from Afghanistan and Syria - these are the clear conditions and the position we have agreed on, including the three countries," he is reported to have said. 

He added that the two Schengen candidate countries should accept refugees, especially from Afghanistan and Syria. "These are the clear conditions and the position we have agreed on, including the three countries," Karner stressed.