Tougher line

Vienna gets a mission statement for immigrants

"We need more consequences for people who don't integrate," Wiederkehr makes clear.

(Bild: Zwefo, Krone KREATIV)

Vienna is to have a "model for integration" by the summer. Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr wants it to be more than just a recommendation: he is calling for consequences in the event of violations. In addition to demands on immigrants, services will also be expanded, starting with language acquisition.

The values convention, at which Wiederkehr invited 200 citizens and representatives of the city's institutions to discuss "what we want in Vienna - and what we don't want" at the Hofburg in mid-November, is showing the first concrete results: By the summer, but at the latest before the Vienna elections next year, Wiederkehr wants to "move from convention to consensus", i.e. draw up a "mission statement for integration", which should then be binding for all immigrants - including consequences for violations.

Consequences up to the removal of minimum benefits possible
"We need more consequences for people who don't integrate," Wiederkehr makes clear. However, Vienna's options are limited in this respect, he points out, referring to the responsibility of the federal government, for example in its demands for penalties for parents who do not want to cooperate with schools. Given the options that Vienna has, Wiederkehr does not even want to shy away from cuts to the minimum income. There should be "no prohibitions on thinking".

Wiederkehr wants to make the "Vienna principle" mandatory.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Language courses even before the first year of primary school
Wiederkehr wants to expand the opportunities for early language acquisition in order to achieve greater integration. This summer, there are to be 1000 additional language learning places for children, including for the first time for those who are about to start their first year of primary school. Although nobody can be obliged to do this, Wiederkehr again refers to the federal government, the consequences of non-attendance, i.e. the probable classification as an exceptional pupil, will be made clear here. In addition, the financial pot of the "Mutmillion" is to be increasingly directed towards language acquisition.

Calls for more respect, regardless of origin
The call for more action to be taken against those who disrupt coexistence in Vienna also dominated the Values Convention: there was agreement that there should be consequences for those who refuse to integrate and show a lack of respect towards teachers, public officials, hospital staff and generally in the public sphere - regardless of origin. However, immigrants also complained of discrimination in the workplace, for example due to a lack of recognition of their qualifications.

According to Wiederkehr, the discussions in the Convention's working groups were "sometimes very heated". For him, the most surprising aspect was the intensity with which religion was discussed by all participants, even and especially by those who do not feel they belong to any religion. For Wiederkehr, however, it is precisely these heated debates that are part of "democracy in action: that people make an effort to come together, especially on difficult topics."