Bowl over the asylum crisis: Courts delay our solutions!

Bowl over the asylum crisis: Courts delay our solutions!

Österreich - On May 20, 2025, former Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel commented in a rare television interview on the migration policy of the Austrian government. Schüssel sharply criticized that courts make it difficult to dismiss asylum seekers on the border. The politician described non-governmental organizations from refugee aid as a jointly responsible for the delays in the asylum procedures. He also advocated that Austria should concentrate more on the recruitment of key workers. Schüssel turns 80 at the beginning of June and was Federal Chancellor of a coalition from the ÖVP and the FPÖ/BZÖ.

In his current book, he draws parallels between his term in office and the current political situation. He criticizes the "exclusive" in politics, in particular the cancellation of coalition talks with the FPÖ and Herbert Kickl. Schüssel also criticized the behavior of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who did not issue a government mandate to the election winner after the election. A critical view of FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl, in particular his attitude to the EU, rounded off significant statements.

demands on EU migration policy

bowl also called for a more determined migration policy at European level. He emphasized the need to strengthen Austria's defense ability within the EU. The former Chancellor sees Russia under Vladimir Putin as a serious threat and sees this situation as a wake -up call for Austria. With regard to the EU integration policy, Schüssel expressed concerns about the EU's asylum and migration policy and emphasized the challenges by migrants who are not-asylum. In his opinion, the cooperation between secret services and comprehensive retrofitting of the defense standards in the EU countries must be promoted in order to be able to react appropriately to future crises. He also welcomed Andrius Kubilius to the first EU defense commissioner.

The former Chancellor hopes for progress from the new EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner. The EU is attributed to the introduction of a comprehensive migration and asylum package that has recently been passed and which also includes revision of the Dublin regulations. This revision is intended to make the determination of the responsible member state more efficient for asylum applications. The overall package was accepted with 322 to 266 votes and contains mechanisms to react to sudden climbs of the migrant stream. Member States must also ensure equivalent standards for admission and protecting asylum seekers.

transparency and basics of the asylum procedure

A central concern of the new migration package includes the introduction of faster asylum procedures and the review of third-country nationals at the EU boundaries. EU parliamentarianism has also defined clear rules for the recognition of refugee status and subsidiary protection, which requires implementation in the next few years. Schüssel demands that Austria must make its role more active within the EU in order not only to be perceived as a nation state, but as part of a larger community.

Overall, Wolfgang Schüssel proves to be a concerned but optimistic politician. His critical comments and demands with regard to European cooperation and migration policy illustrate the need for a stronger European solidarity in these challenging times and are dealt with live in the upcoming editions of the ServusTV message magazine "Blickwechsel".

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