Tyrol's LR on migration

“We don’t need anyone for the social hammock!”

Tyrolean State Councillor for Security Astrid Mais (ÖVP).(Bild: Land Tirol/Sedlak)

Tyrol's head of security Astrid Mair (VP) agrees with her party colleague Karoline Edtstadler: "The Geneva Refugee Convention needs to be revised." We need motivated skilled workers, but not someone who exploits our system and lies here in the social hammock. 

On Friday, Minister of the Constitution Karoline Edtstadler pushed ahead, on Saturday Tyrol's State Councillor for Security Astrid Mair followed suit: The Geneva Refugee Convention must be revised and adapted to the realities of life today.

Targeting economic migrants
"There will always be new, large refugee movements. And there will continue to be international conflicts in the world that force people to leave their homes. However, it is completely different when someone flees a civil war or when someone comes to Europe because they hope for a better social system there," explained Mair. 

We need motivated skilled workers and that is exactly who we should bring to Austria. But we don't need anyone who takes advantage of our system and lies here in the social hammock.

Tirols Sicherheits-LR Astrid Mair

For her, it is therefore also about enabling qualified immigration. "We need motivated skilled workers, and that's exactly who we should bring to Austria. But we don't need anyone who takes advantage of our system and lies here in the social hammock."

Fewer refugees than in the Kickl era
A first step has already been taken with the European migration pact, and Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer has also been able to achieve a lot in the area of security - for example through bilateral agreements with Serbia and Morocco. "In fact, far fewer people are coming to Austria today than during the time of a blue interior minister, for example," Mair noted.

I am therefore firmly convinced that we need to create a new framework for the migration policy challenges of our time.

Tirols Sicherheits-LR Astrid Mair

Convention "outdated"
The Geneva Refugee Convention is an important international set of rules, "but it is now outdated. I am therefore firmly convinced that we need to create a new framework for the migration policy challenges of our time that is internationally recognized and at the same time protects Europe from being overrun by refugees from all over the world".