Welcome in Vienna? Reception of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Austria‘s Capital

Reporter‘s Data Personal 10 years asylum field Lawyer (ai) Research (ICMPD) EQUAL project management (Volkshilfe) Organisational Volkshilfe Österreich DON‘T WAIT – Work and Qualification for Asylum Seekers! - migrants in home care

Presentation Structure Vienna: Immigration characteristics Actual Austrian Asylum Policy Integration of Asylum Seekers NGO Perspectives on Asylum Conclusions Contacts

Vienna: Immigration characteristics

Population in general Austria: 8 million inhabitants Vienna: 1,5 million inhabitans

Ethnic Minorities Austria: 1,5 million who were not Austrian citizens when born (18%) Vienna: about 30% not Austrian citizens when born

„Integration Contract“ Federal Law, since 2002, reform 2005 Compulsory German lessons for immigrants: originally 100 hours, reform 2005 foresees 300 hours + exam compulsory New Immigration Strategy: Saisonal work + key forces („New Economy“)

Actual Austrian Asylum Policy

Plenty new laws... Asylum Act 1997 Asylum Act 2003 (Constitutional Court stated several violations of the constitutional law) Asylum Act 2005

Asylum Authorities

Asylum Act 2005 Protection against deportation: weakening during appeals against formal decisions (Third Secure State, Dublin) Traumaticed refugees are no longer excepted of Dublin procedure Independent Federal Asylum Review Bord: plus 15 Judges

Immigration Act 2005 Detention pending deportation: from 6 month up to 10 months and coercive nutrition Penal law: higher punishment for human smuggling and fake marriages Familiy reunification: access to labour market already after 1 year (previous: 2-3 years)

Statistics: Asylum Applications UNHCR Statistics + Forecast 2005 Year FC 2005 Applications Approvals

Statistics: Applications Decline Background End of Yugoslav civil wars Crisis in Afghanistan/ Iraq urge less people to flight Main counries of origin: Russia (Tetscheny) and Serbia-Montenegro Dublin Convention and EURODAC

Integration of Asylum Seekers

Notion of Integration Access Labour Market Accomodation, nutrition and advice Access education & vocational training

Notion of Integration Rise to middle class as essential element of integration One who can‘t perform like middle class is perceived as „foreigner“ August Gächter, Vienna 2005 ZSI, Centre for Social Inovation

Integration needs... Rights Education Recognition of Capacities & Knowledge Replacement in bad jobs August Gächter, Vienna 2005 ZSI, Centre for Social Inovation

Access Labour Market Asylum Seekers: saisonal work or new self employed (see DON‘T WAIT) Subsidary protected: access afte 1 year Recognized refugees: access as Austrians Volkshilfe position: Access to labour market after 6 month + accelerated acceptance procedures for foreign certificates

Accomodation Nutrition - Advice Basic Welfare Support Convention between Länder (federal territories) and Bund (state) Covers all asylum seekers (previous: 1/3) Detention pending deportation is still used very extensively although there would be more human and economic possibilities

Access Education & Vocational Training Labour market authorities (AMS) excludes asylum seekers Access to private education market Costs! – Innovative Support by EQUAL advice structures (DON‘T WAIT, Epima etc.)

Education as comming NGO Policy Perspective Education & Vocational Training: answer to restricted access to the labour market Double-Screening: Geneva Convention and national labour market demand Training Plan: Fit of personal skills and labour marked demands

Conclusions Focus on vocational training and double screening In case of return (reduced probability): development aid In case of stay: win-win-situation