Austria has followed Hungary's lead by sending troops to its border to carry out checks on migrants, it has been revealed today.
Four Austrian armoured vehicles were sent to the Italian border this morning and 750 soldiers were positioned to stop migrants from crossing into the country.
Government sources say that they will set up border controls at the Alpine Brenner Pass "very soon" to tackle the migrant crisis.
According to the Daily Mail, the planned controls will not be exclusive to the key trade pass, a defense ministry spokesman said - a move that Italy warned last year would break EU rules on free movement.
"I expect border controls will be introduced very soon," Peter Doskozil, Austria's defense minister, said.
Experts have warned that there could be a crisis brewing as Italy and Austria are both members of the EU's Schengen open-border zone, and the move could be against EU laws.