"Asylum master plan"

How the SPÖ wants to ensure “balance and order”

(Bild: APA/ALEX HALADA)

The SPÖ has "refreshed" its ideas on asylum and integration policy. On Saturday morning, an expert council of the party discussed the topic. The "master plan" - an updated summary of the so-called "Kaiser-Doskozil paper" - was then presented. The aim is to "ensure balance and order" under "the premise of humanity", emphasized party leader Andreas Babler at the press conference in Vienna.

"My personal basic idea is that you don't step on people," Babler emphasized. He spoke of an "offensive program" of the Social Democrats with concrete solutions, instead of taking the easy way out and joining "the chorus of agitators and screamers". The ÖVP and FPÖ, on the other hand, would only present simple solutions, but at the same time have failed in their responsibilities as interior ministers over the past 24 years.

The key points of the SPÖ's "asylum master plan":

• Faster procedures at EU external borders
• Fair distribution of refugees in the EU
• Sanctions against countries that oppose this distribution
• More repatriations, including deportations to safe third countries
• Mandatory integration year with German and values courses
• High penalties and deportation for violent and terrorist offenses
• 4000 additional police officers
• Women's rights as a "central guiding principle"

"Taking care of it with pragmatism"
Migration is a pan-European problem that cannot be prayed away or ignored, said Carinthian Governor Peter Kaiser, "we'd better deal with it with a good dose of pragmatism". His counterpart from Burgenland, Hans Peter Doskozil, with whom he had drafted the "refreshed" Kaiser-Doskozil paper in 2018, did not take part in the meeting. All federal states had been invited, "I am personally sorry that Doskozil's place was left vacant", emphasized Babler.

Carinthia's Governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ)

(Bild: APA/ALEX HALADA)

With the concept presented, which includes faster procedures at the EU's external borders, a fair distribution of refugees within the EU including sanctions against countries that refuse to do so, as well as more returns, the SPÖ wants to achieve a 75 percent reduction in the number of asylum applications. If returns to the country of origin are not possible, there should also be deportations to safe third countries. If this is implemented, the question of upper limits - as demanded by Doskozil or the Tyrolean SPÖ leader Georg Dornauer - will not even arise, said Babler. All participants in the meeting, including Dornauer, agreed. The latter practiced silence on Saturday and did not want to make a statement when asked.

Severe sanctions if integration fails
In terms of integration, the SPÖ wants an extended mandatory integration year with German and values courses and, at the same time, severe sanctions if integration fails, specifically deportation or severe penalties for violent or terrorist offenses. To this end, 4,000 additional police officers are being called for. Women's rights should become a "central model for integration". Women's self-determination is the top priority, emphasized SPÖ women's spokesperson Eva-Maria Holzleitner.

SPÖ women's spokesperson Eva-Maria Holzleitner

(Bild: APA/ALEX HALADA)

Babler did not want to speak of a tightening of the migration course. "There is no tightening, there is clarity," emphasized the SPÖ leader. However, the Styrian party leader did: "I welcome the tightening of the party line adopted today, which was a major concern for us in Styria. The points we put forward were included in the new paper, which is why the outcome of today's summit is positive for me," said Anton Lang in response to an APA inquiry. For the Styrian SPÖ, "consistent action against delinquent asylum seekers was and is very important". It was clear that "anyone who commits serious crimes or repeatedly commits minor crimes must lose their right of residence in Austria".

Praise from the federal states, criticism from the FPÖ
Praise for the paper also came from Vorarlberg's SPÖ provincial party leader Mario Leiter. "The SPÖ is the only party with a serious, detailed concept for dealing with immigration and refugees," said Leiter in response to an APA inquiry. The party also wants to help protect the borders from illegal immigration and prevent unlawful residence in Austria. Any future federal government must "finally act in this sense". This is because the current government, like its predecessors, has "only ever used the issue to make grand statements, but has made no progress on the matter."

The increased focus on the topic of asylum is a reaction to corresponding internal party demands following the SPÖ's poor performance in the EU elections. However, there is no unity within the SPÖ on the issue, with liberal positions such as those of the Vienna city party and restrictive ones such as those of the Burgenland provincial party opposing each other. The Lower Austrian regional organization held back from making a clear statement after the meeting on Saturday. "I would leave politics to the federal party today," said SPÖ regional manager Wolfgang Zwander.

Criticism came unsurprisingly from political rivals: FPÖ security spokesman Hannes Amesbauer spoke of "pure PR politics" and accused the SPÖ of "complete lack of credibility". In truth, the SPÖ had "always opened the door to illegal mass immigration under the guise of asylum", Amesbauer said in a press release.