"Can't speak the language"

Social fraud? Ukraine refugees under scrutiny

Ukrainian refugees on the border with Hungary: it is suspected that some others are using their genuine suffering to enrich themselves.

(Bild: AFP, Krone KREATIV)

Alarm about social fraud: they don't come from war zones, don't speak a word of Ukrainian and collect everything from diapers to family allowances - now a special unit is investigating.

 "In recent weeks and months, we have noticed that more and more large families with brand new passports are coming to us from the Transcarpathian Oblast in western Ukraine. This is not a war zone. What's more, they don't speak a word of Ukrainian or Russian, and most of the parents and children are illiterate," says Salzburg asylum coordinator Anton Holzer, sounding the fraud alarm. As a former Red Cross rescue commander, he has experience in dealing with refugees.

Millions in damage possible across Austria
The onslaught is presenting schools and kindergartens, and therefore the municipalities, with almost insurmountable tasks. Around 90 percent of applications in Salzburg now come from these groups of people. Throughout Austria, depending on the age or whether additional childcare allowance is paid when the parents are at home, between around 180 and 250 euros per child, this amounts to millions. This is because, unlike other asylum seekers, Ukrainians not only receive basic care, but also the full range of state benefits, from diapers to family allowances, as well as housing subsidies.

According to Holzer, the authorities are also seeing more and more cases of asylum tourism. This means that the families have previously been to France or Spain, for example, to collect welfare benefits and have then traveled on to Austria, probably also because it is apparently more attractive here in terms of cash benefits ...

Special unit to stem influx
No, this is not a general suspicion of Ukrainian war refugees, Neo-Family Minister Claudia Plakolm immediately clarifies to the "Krone". Then the big but: "Anyone who wants to live with us must become part of us and must abide by our rules. We have no room for those who exploit our systems. I will therefore set up a task force for the receipt of family allowances to prevent abuse and pull factors," said the ÖVP politician.

This is also why access to family allowance and childcare allowance will only be extended by six months instead of the current one year. A special unit is to develop stricter criteria beyond October 31 in order to stop Austria's attraction as a "social hammock" in Europe.