"Imminent danger"

Kickl sounds the alarm about possible naturalizations

FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl wanted to de facto cut off access to citizenship via the asylum system.

(Bild: TOBIAS STEINMAURER / APA / picturedesk.com)

It is well known that family reunification is to be stopped. However, the measures planned by the new federal government do not go far enough for the Freedom Party. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl and Co. warn of "mass naturalizations". Around 15,000 refugees who arrived in the country in 2015 will be allowed to apply for citizenship this year. 

As is known, the temporary suspension of the influx of refugees is to be fixed at the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday. The ÖVP argues that family reunification has taken on a dimension that is overburdening the country. SPÖ Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler emphasized on Monday that although the immediate stop is fixed, there is currently no family reunification from Syria and Afghanistan anyway. "This losers' traffic light will talk about stopping family reunification, but will hardly implement it", FPÖ General Michael Schnedlitz is certain. The measures do not go far enough for the Freedom Party anyway. 

FPÖ wanted to extend the deadline
During the blue-black negotiations, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl famously came up with the idea of de facto cutting off access to citizenship via the asylum route. As an initial "immediate protection measure", the ten-year period that currently applies to recognized refugees before they are allowed to apply for red-white-red citizenship should have been extended to 15 years under the blue-black coalition.

The plan behind this: Those refugees who arrived in the country during the big wave in 2015 would not all have been eligible at the same time this year. However, the coalition talks between the FPÖ and ÖVP fell through - and with them the idea of extending the deadline. 

Danger due to "mass influx" in 2015
"Asylum is temporary protection - granting asylum seekers access to citizenship is absurd for this reason alone. After the mass influx of illegal immigrants in 2015 and the expiry of the 10-year deadline, 'imminent danger' and swift action are required. Nonetheless, the black-red-pink loser traffic light continues to provide asylum seekers with the privilege of citizenship 'free of charge', virtually at zero cost. We have seen for ourselves in the negotiations that the ÖVP does not want to close the gateway and is not being honest with Austrians," Kickl recently told the "Krone" newspaper.

Ministry of the Interior: "Every case will be examined"
"There is currently the option to submit an application after ten years. However, there is no automatism here. Each case is examined individually," emphasizes the Ministry of the Interior. No criminal offenses, proven language skills at B2 level and integration are the requirements for obtaining citizenship. According to the ministry, fewer than 15,000 people who arrived in the country during the large wave of refugees in 2015 would be eligible this year. And in general, Austria has one of the strictest laws in Europe. In Denmark and Germany, for example, applications can be submitted at an earlier stage. In Sweden, the red-white-red model is now even being copied ...