Illiteracy as a major problem: Seven out of ten refugees in Austria are illiterate. This means that they cannot read or write in their native language. This is evident from the current integration report, which was presented on Thursday. Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) is now loudly considering making German courses compulsory to promote the integration of immigrants into the labor market – and even threatens to cut social assistance.
According to the integration report, the proportion of illiterates among Syrians is the highest at 78 percent. Katharina Pabel, the chair of the Advisory Council on Integration, also confirmed that the need for literacy had increased. Although this group has a good system, it is clear that they have difficulty reaching a certain level of German.
“Make the German offer more flexible”
Pabel therefore advocates making German courses more flexible, such as the online German learning units offered by the Integration Fund (ÖIF), which are, among other things, tailored to entry-level jobs.
Focus on young people with a migration background
In general, according to Pabel, particular attention should be paid to young people. That is why the Board of Experts has chosen this focus for this annual report. The aim should be that young people with a migrant background experience equal opportunities in the field of education, integration in the labor market and social integration. The evaluation of the data shows that migrants do worse than young people without a migration background. According to Pabel, they are much less likely to complete an internship or transfer to a higher school. As a measure, the Expert Council proposes, for example, more systematic and context-oriented career advice.
Raab wants compulsory achievements for German courses
Integration Minister Raab is already thinking aloud about making German courses compulsory to promote the integration of immigrants in the labor market. At the moment there is only an obligation to participate in order not to lose social assistance. You can imagine that a ‘certain language level’ has to be reached in a certain period in order to maintain social welfare, Raab said when presenting the integration report.
Social benefits: is there a waiting period for new immigrants?
“We are thinking about how this can be reflected in the law,” explains the Minister of Integration. At the same time, she spoke again in favor of a waiting period for social benefits for new immigrants in Austria, based on the Danish model. After all, the local social system should not be the incentive for immigration.
“Endless Course Loop”
She “doesn’t understand” that many don’t make the jump to the job market despite countless courses and instead “get stuck in an endless course loop,” says Raab. “I find it unacceptable, especially given the current labor market situation, that people are on social security for years.” It is not always about “German at university level”, but about basic knowledge.
2.35 million people with a migration background
Every fourth person in this country now has a migration background. As Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria, explained, there will be 2.35 million people with a migrant background living in Austria in 2022. The share of those whose parents were both born abroad rose from 25.4 percent in the previous year to 26.4 percent of the total population.
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.
