"Vienna has a duty"

ÖVP rejects residence requirement for persons entitled to asylum

ÖVP General Christian Stocker believes Vienna has a duty to do its homework when it comes to social welfare.

(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

On Wednesday, ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker underlined his party's rejection of a residence requirement for persons entitled to asylum. The ÖVP has made its contribution in government responsibility, he assured. Instead, he believes that the federal capital of Vienna has a duty to do its homework when it comes to social welfare.

The federal government had taken action to reduce the number of asylum applications, now it was "Vienna's task to prepare the social system in such a way that people do not come to Vienna because of the social benefits, but because of the jobs", Stocker said.

Raab also blocks
If one pays more than all other federal states, one should not be surprised that more people would come to Vienna, said the ÖVP Secretary General, who, like Family Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) the day before, saw it as the duty of the Viennese city government to cut social welfare.

(Bild: SEPA.Media KG | Michael Indra | www.sepa.media)

The aim must be to bring people to where they have work and not to where they receive the most social welfare, said Stocker, referring to his party's proposal to only pay out social welfare after five years of legal residence in Austria.

"If Vienna finds allies in the countries, good"
With regard to the proposal by AMS head Johannes Kopf , according to which recognized refugees should only receive social welfare in the federal state where their asylum procedure took place, the ÖVP, as the governing party, does not see itself addressed. This is not about a federal regulation, but about a 15a agreement between the federal states, said Stocker: "If Vienna finds allies in the federal states, fine." To elevate everything to federal level because one had not done one's own homework was too short-sighted.

With regard to family reunification, Stocker once again spoke out in favor of rethinking the regulations. The ÖVP sees scope for change, for example, in the application process, which could be linked to a personal interview, or in the age limit.

In view of the increased family reunification of asylum seekers, the red-pink Vienna city government recently called for a residency requirement for recognized refugees. Specifically, according to Vienna's ideas, non-working persons entitled to asylum should have to live for three years in the federal state in which their asylum procedure was completed.

Wiederkehr and NEOS reaffirm their wish
Vienna's Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) continues to take a completely different view. At a joint press conference with Stephanie Krisper, spokesperson for the Left Party on asylum, he reiterated the demand.

In view of the increased family reunification of asylum seekers, the red-pink Vienna city government recently called for a residency requirement for recognized refugees. Specifically, according to Vienna's ideas, non-working persons entitled to asylum should have to live for three years in the federal state in which their asylum procedure was completed.