Vienna: Austria is planning to impose border controls and possibly deploy troops to cut the number of migrants crossing from Italy, defence officials said, drawing a protest from Rome and reigniting a row over Europe's handling of the refugee crisis.

Tensions between European Union countries over how to share the burden of migrants flared in 2015 when hundreds of thousands, many fleeing wars in Africa and the Middle East, began arriving in EU territory, mainly via Greece, and headed for Germany, Austria and other nearby affluent states.

An Italian paramedic helps a migrant during the disembark of 402 migrants from the Britain Royal Navy's ship Echo in the harbour of Brindisi, Italy, on Friday. Credit:ANSA/AP

Austria took in more than 1 per cent of its population in asylum seekers at the time, which helped increase popular support for the far-right Freedom Party. Keen to avoid another influx, it said then it would introduce controls at the busy Brenner Pass border crossing with Italy if one materialised there.

That has not yet happened but Italy recently asked other EU countries to help it cope with a surge in migrants reaching its southern Mediterranean shores from Africa, raising concern in Austria that many will soon show up at its border with Italy.