Austria stops family reunification: a difficult blow for asylum seekers!

Austria stops family reunification: a difficult blow for asylum seekers!

Vienna, Österreich - Austria temporarily stopped family reunification for asylum seekers with immediate effect. A corresponding regulation was decided by the main committee of Parliament and is used for a period of six months.

The approval of the decision received the support of the government coalition and the FPÖ. Applications for family reunification are inhibited for the six months mentioned; They can be submitted, but not edited. Exceptions are planned to maintain private and family life, especially for minors who rely on a caregiver. According to the Asylum Act, the inhibition of applications can be extended up to three times, each by six months.

reasons for the stop

The government had to submit a written justification for the risk to public order. The overload of the social systems, in particular the education system, is mentioned as the main argument. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) points out that around 17,000 people have come to Austria in the past two years. According to the MAI statistics of the Ministry of the Interior, the number of entry in May has dropped to only 74 under the title of family reunification.

FPÖ general secretary Christian Hafenecker critically commented on the stop and doubted that this contributes to the solution of existing problems. Statistics on family reunification show that this topic plays a central role in refugee protection, but it grants that separate families can live together again. Information about this can be found on the website of the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) and in the annual asylum statistics of the Interior Ministry.

Integration of follow -up family members

A current study by the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), which was created on behalf of the Austrian Integration Fund, highlights the integration of follow-up asylum and subsidiary protection persons. Data from 12,500 asylum entitled people were collected for the analysis, including 2,500 family members who were consulted between 2018 and 2024.

The results show that follow -up family members need significantly longer for integration than directly applicable refugees. In the first years after their arrival, they are less common and learn more slowly German. Around 46 % of this group are women, with 82 % of the followed women being married. For men who were followed up as minors, the employment participation is only 41 %. In comparison, this number is 57 %.

In addition, the study shows that women in particular learn more slowly. After five years, 50 % of the followed and originally applicant women rate their knowledge of German as good or very good. In order to promote integration, the Austrian integration fund offers extensive programs, including German courses and advisory services.

The current challenges in the field of family reunification and integration are complexes that include both humanitarian and social dimensions. Stopping the family reunification could have far -reaching consequences for those affected, the possibilities of which are significantly impaired to integrate and social participation. For many, family reunification conveys a decisive aspect of refugee protection and hope for a better life in Austria.

For further information on statistics and laws in the area of ​​family reunification, visit asyl.at or watch OTS past.