Ahead of the state elections in the fall, the ruling People’s Party in Vorarlberg is now making a controversial move: According to “Krone” information, the federal state will be the first federal state in Austria to introduce a so-called asylum code from July 1st.
Every asylum seeker and person entitled to asylum must sign it: values course, learning German, commitment to community service. In the event of non-compliance, there is first a warning, and the next step is cuts in asylum benefits. Last year, Vienna’s ÖVP leader Karl Mahrer had also spoken out in favor of an asylum seekers code in the federal capital. “Yes, there should also be this asylum seeker code in Vienna,” he said in an interview with krone.tv. Because refugees have to identify with their host country and accept our values. What other state governors saySimilar tones also came from the other VP-led countries. The Styrian regional leader Christopher Drexler can also imagine a “Steiermark Code”, as he let the “Krone” know. The Upper Austrian Governor Thomas Stelzer referred to the compulsory German language requirement in social assistance, which was first introduced in his state. Vienna City Councilor for Social Affairs Peter Hacker (SPÖ) was not very euphoric back in November: “There is currently no code at all. It is unclear which grievances are intended to be remedied. “This can only be understood as a party political tactic with a view to upcoming elections at the federal and state level,” he explained. And Hacker pointed out that this would also require legal regulation. A code without a legal basis is more of a guideline without a binding character and a PR stunt. The Lower Austrian state leader Johanna Mikl-Leitner (all ÖVP) referred to the measures anchored in the government program with the FPÖ.
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