Every fifth ignores integration courses - announced sanctions!

Every fifth ignores integration courses - announced sanctions!

In 2024, 19.5 percent of the places in values and orientation courses for entitled to asylum remained unused in Austria. A total of 14,392 places were available, of which 2,813 were not used. These courses are specially designed in order to convey information about the social, legal and cultural life in Austria, reports [Exxpress.at] (https://exxpress.at/news/20-pren-der-asylant-pfeifen-pfe-pfe-Inintegration courses/).

The reasons for the high numbers of unused price places are diverse. A significant proportion of the affected places are in men (1,965) compared to women (848). Vienna recorded the highest number with 2,054 empty places, followed by Upper Austria (190) and Tyrol (167). Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm critically commented on this development and announced sanctions against non-participation.

mandatory integration measures planned

The minister plans to introduce a new mandatory integration program, which should provide for performance cuts and administrative penalties when not participating. The aim of these measures is to increase the liability of the course participants. However, the question of whether these sanctions will actually have an effect remains open because the course visit is a tedious process for many.

The number of participants in the courses rose to a total of 11,574 people compared to the previous year. The largest group of participants put Syrian citizens with 8,764 fled people, followed by 1,187 Afghans and 514 Somaliern. A large part of the participants come from Vienna, where almost 8,500 people take part, while in Styria 786 and in Upper Austria 623 people are present, as today.at reports.

content of the courses

The values and orientation courses extend over five days and deal with topics that are essential for the integration of refugees and immigrants into Austrian society. This includes employment market entry, language acquisition, as well as knowledge of equality, freedom of expression, democracy and the rule of law. The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) offers these courses free of charge and uses trained trainers who aim to convey the values and rules of living together in Austria, according to integationsfonds.at.

From 2024, the courses will also be expanded by new content. One of the newly introduced modules deals with security issues, while another deals with the topics and commitment in the community. This illustrates the extensive approach of integration measures to promote better coexistence and to facilitate integration.

The development in the area of integration courses in Austria remains an important topic, since politics and society struggle for the best ways to promote the participation of asylum seekers and to reduce the high number of unused places.