Austria’s coalition government is debating the introduction of a law requiring asylum seekers and other refugees to fulfil “integration obligations” under threat of punishment.
Yesterday, integration minister Claudia Bauer (Austrian People’s Party, ÖVP) said her ministry had finalised a draft law and submitted it to her government colleagues in late February.
The new “integration obligations act” would see the introduction of substantial fines of up to €5,000 for asylum seekers who do not follow the integration measures demanded by the State.
These measures include mandatory integration consulting sessions and an assessment of the immigrant’s potential for employment.
Asylum seekers also need to sign a so called “charter of values”, pledging to respect Austrian laws, equality of the sexes, the secular state and other general principles of living together in Austria. The new law would fine refugees who refuse to sign the charter.
Fines also apply if asylum seekers skip integration classes or German classes.
Finally, the failure to fulfil individual integration obligations will also be connected with cuts to social welfare benefits. This, though, will only apply once the government coalition has agreed on a new social welfare law set to enter into force in 2027.
Bauer urged her party’s coalition partners – the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the small liberal Neos Party – to agree to the draft law as soon as possible.
Bauer told newspaper OÖN yesterday it was necessary to make integration obligatory: “The voluntary approach to integration has failed spectacularly. When I consider that 48,000 refugees are registered as unemployed, and that more than 13,000 German language and integration classes have been abandoned without reason last year, it is clear that we need greater accountability and more pressure.”
Her zeal to tighten the reins , though, seems to be met with a lack of enthusiasm by her party’s coalition partners.
Newspaper Der Standard reported on April 10 that the SPÖ had declined to consent to the law in its current form. Left-wing NGOs have also criticised the introduction of fines for refugees.
Ultimately, the ÖVP’s plans to appear as the party of law and order might once more fall victim to the pro-refugee stance of its coalition partner of choice, the SPÖ.
Independent journalist Alexander Surowiec commented: “So here we go again: another announcement, another threat – the current three-party coalition has been promising for months to crack down on those who refuse to integrate and to deport all criminal migrants.
“Little has actually happened … The ÖVP-SPÖ-NEOS coalition hopes to score points with [right-wing] FPÖ voters by now taking a hard line against those who refuse to integrate – but these pledges and promises are rarely followed by action.”
