Asylum border in Wolfsberg: FPÖ demands rethinking in asylum policy!

Asylum border in Wolfsberg: FPÖ demands rethinking in asylum policy!

In the Austrian city of Wolfsberg, there was a tragic incident in an asylum accommodation: a drunk Syrian asylum seeker injured several people and was also aggressive to the police. The incident led to a sharp criticism by the FPÖ spokesman for the Interior, NABG. Mag. Gernot Darmann, who described the events as an expression of a failed asylum policy. Darmann spoke of "almost daily individual cases" and called for an urgent rethink in asylum policy and an increased return of "social welfare persons" to their home countries. He also thanked the police officers who intervened in this critical situation.

The incidents in Wolfsberg are not isolated and show a worrying situation in asylum and migration policy in Europe. European lessons emphasizes that pushbacks, i.e. the violent back of migrants, are considered problematic at many European limits. These practices violate EU law and the Geneva Refugee Convention, according to which everyone who arrives in an EU state has the right to an asylum procedure.

challenges in EU asylum policy

The political landscape in Europe is characterized by different views of migration. Southern European countries are calling for a fairer distribution of asylum seekers, while Eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary rely on foreclosure and physical barriers. According to a report by Integration , the attempts at the Polish-Belarusian border are largely stagnating, which is due to the sanctions imposed by the EU.

The increasing number of migrants, especially from Afghanistan since the Taliban power was taken over, requires effective solutions. The EU summit in October 2021 brought claims for infringement procedures against countries that violate asylum rights. In the meantime, the discussion about asylum procedures in third countries shows that many politicians are striving to keep refugees outside the EU to prevent asylum applications. This project requires extensive legal adjustments and harbors the risk that people seeking protection will be deported to countries in which they are exposed to danger.

model approaches for asylum processing

In order to meet the challenges of the external borders, various models for processing asylum applications in third countries are under discussion. This includes the Albania model , in which asylum seekers are brought to Albania from safe countries of origin, as well as the Rwanda model , which is characterized by a controversial agreement between Great Britain and Rwanda. However, these models are faced with legal hurdles and the effectiveness of resettlement programs that remain far behind the need, so informed Mediendienst Integration .

The current incidents in Wolfsberg and the situation in the EU require a comprehensive discourse on asylum and migration policy. Furthermore, a balance between humanitarian obligations and the necessary control of immigration is to be regarded as a challenge that the European Community must approach.