At a press conference Wednesday, the Austrian leader cited concern over sovereignty relating to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which claims that huge movements of people across borders are "inevitable, necessary, and desirable".

"We view some of the points in this agreement very critically. We will therefore do everything to maintain the sovereignty of our country and ensure that we as the Republic of Austria can decide for ourselves on migration issues," Reuters reported the Chancellor as saying.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Kurz told journalists that the Danish government has expressed similar concerns over the agreement, which was previously signed by all UN member nations except the U.S., which withdrew last year.