The Ministry of the Interior has suggested that the states should cut back on money and benefits for asylum seekers if they do not want to do charity work. Moreover, its use should be expanded. Approval comes from Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, rejection from Vienna.
The current arrangement provides for charity work in the local area or on behalf of states and municipalities. The Ministry of the Interior now proposed expanding the use of work to non-profit organizations. The model also provides consequences for refusal. Pocket money could be reduced by about half or switched from cash to benefits in kind, such as meal vouchers.
The latter is already common in the basic services of the federal government. Asylum seekers may only receive full benefits in kind if they are willing to work.
SPÖ: “Pure theater thunder”
The ministry said states could implement the suggestions on their own. The debate has been dormant for a long time. At the beginning of November, the Vorarlberg ÖVP announced a “Vorarlberg Code” that asylum seekers must sign and which obliges them to perform community service.
Tyrolean Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) was also open to this proposal, while his deputy Georg Dornauer (SPÖ) spoke before the 2024 elections of “pure theatrical nonsense” from the ÖVP. Approval also came from Salzburg, where it was announced that the ministry’s proposal would be considered.
Hacker: Proposal was not submitted at all
The representation of Peter Hacker (SPÖ), the responsible city councilor in Vienna, is completely different. According to him, no corresponding proposal has been submitted; only the possibility of reducing pocket money has been discussed. It’s been around for many years anyway and he rejects it. Requiring asylum seekers to do community service would be a violation of human rights and is therefore not possible.
Moreover, there should be no wage dumping among migrants. If they swept the streets or maintained green spaces, current workers would lose their jobs. Instead, certificates should be issued quickly so that migrants can pursue other work.
Criticism of “coercive measures”
There was also criticism from the ‘Together for Children’s Rights’ platform. The pocket money is 40 euros per month and has not been adjusted for 20 years. Representative Wolfgang Salm does not see that people should have to take ‘coercive measures’ to keep them at work.
Refugee officers from the states had already spoken out in September in favor of an extension of community service.
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.
