Vienna  - Joerg Haider, the right-wing governor of Austria's Carinthia province, has run foul of the justice ministry in Vienna for expelling asylum seekers to other provinces.

Haider has forced asylum seekers to leave Carinthia, claiming they were criminals, and said he would not accept any more without advance knowledge of their background, the interior ministry confirmed.

Austrian Justice Minister Maria Fekter said Thursday that the expulsions might constitute coercion or unlawful restriction and could be investigated by the judiciary.

The latest expulsion of asylum seekers from Carinthia to Lower Austria on Wednesday evening was a "dishonourable spectacle", Fekter said in Brussels.

An agreement between the federal government and the nine provinces determines how many asylum seekers are split up to live in each province.

Haider said he was cancelling the agreement, despite the fact that it is valid for another 18 months.

Haider's Alliance for the Future of Austria is fighting to get enough votes in the September general elections to re-enter parliament.

The party's secretary general, Gerald Grosz, said Thursday that the justice minister should follow Haider's example and "chase every convicted asylum seeker from Austria."

In early 2008, Haider expelled 18 asylum seekers, including minors, to another Austrian province, claiming they had been involved in a brawl. The accusation later turned out to be false. (dpa)