The federal ÖVP rejects the demand of the mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), to give asylum seekers – who have a good chance of staying in the country – access to the labor market. “The SPÖ wants to make Austria even more attractive to asylum seekers by giving them work permits. As a people’s party, we declare a clear rejection of these left-wing dreams,” wrote General Secretary Christian Stocker.
According to Stocker, Ludwig’s initiative is a completely wrong approach and represents a dangerous mix of asylum and migration. Asylum and qualified immigration in the labor market must be strictly separated. “Anything else would create an additional incentive for illegal migration and lead to abuse of the asylum system,” said the secretary-general of the People’s Party.
“We want to decide for ourselves who comes to us”
According to him, the line of the People’s Party is clear: “We want to decide for ourselves who comes to us – and not let the smugglers’ mafia make this decision. Ludwig’s advance is an invitation to everyone to come to Austria. Given the high number of asylum seekers is this an extremely dangerous signal. The fact is: we must close the gates of Europe, not open them.”
The Tyrol World Cup president supports Ludwig’s proposal
In contrast, the chairman of the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce, Christoph Walser, surprisingly agreed to the request of the mayor of Vienna on Monday. On the one hand, this allows people to be integrated and, on the other hand, it counteracts labor shortages, he said at a press conference. He also sharply criticized the government’s labor market and immigration policies.
The mayor of Innsbruck, Georg Willi (Greens), also supports Ludwig’s demand. “Refugees must be able to work and be valued for their work and wages,” he said. He, too, argued that the labor market was “heavily burdened” and that people should be offered “perspectives”.
FPÖ against work permits for asylum seekers
FPÖ state party chairman Markus Abwerzger rejects Ludwig’s initiative – as does Stocker. “What is needed in the current shortage of skilled workers is a package of measures against unemployment among the elderly and an apprenticeship offensive. Above all, better pay is needed in all areas, because work must also be worthwhile”. According to Abwerzger, “more than 50 percent of the asylum seekers who arrived illegally in Austria during the wave of migration in 2015 will still not be integrated into the labor market in 2022”, which is why he “rejected” the request.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
