The global migration crisis is “placing an unprecedented burden” on communities and public services, Suella Braverman said as she agreed closer co-operation with Austria on the issue.
The Home Secretary and her counterpart in Vienna discussed the idea of using “safe third countries” – such as the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda – to ease pressures.
The Government is waiting for a Supreme Court ruling on its Rwanda plan, which has been mired in legal battles.
The Austrian government said it wanted to learn from the UK’s experiences.
Interior minister Gerhard Karner said: “The UK has a lot of experience when it comes to processing asylum applications outside of Europe in the future.
“That was an important theme in my meeting with the Home Secretary in Vienna because Austria can benefit from this experience.
“We will continue to make a consistent effort for the EU commission to advance and enable such procedures outside of Europe.”
The ministers committed to a joint dialogue on illegal migration, including with countries where migrants come from and pass through on their way to Europe.
They also pledged enhanced co-operation on tackling serious and organised crime and boosting cyber security, with a focus on preventing online radicalisation.
Mrs Braverman said: “The global migration crisis is the challenge of our age, with the UK and the European continent seeing huge movements of people travelling illegally across our borders.
“This is placing an unprecedented burden on our communities and public services.
“Austria is a close ally in tackling illegal migration, and we have already begun sharing knowledge of our actions and strategies such as third country removals.
“This joint statement is a commitment to work more closely together to achieve our aims, and enhance our co-operation on a wide range of security challenges.”
In Vienna, Mrs Braverman spoke to Jewish community leaders, visited the site of 2020’s Islamist terrorist attack and paid her respects at a Holocaust memorial.
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