Vorarlberg rushes forward – “Code” for asylum seekers: more appearance than reality?

When the idea for a “Vorarlberg Code for Asylum Seekers” was presented a few months ago by Vorarlberg Integration Councilor Christian Gantner (ÖVP), the response was enormous within a few days; the model from the region was praised as a model for the whole of Austria. Only at the time no model existed, let alone a code.

That has now changed: the code for asylum seekers must be entered on June 1. On Friday, State Governor Markus Wallner and Gantner presented the main points of the agreement. One thing first: the document is not a code in the sense of a legally binding regulation. All asylum seekers arriving in Vorarlberg from June 1, as well as the approximately 1,750 refugees already receiving basic care, will be presented with the agreement, but there is no obligation to sign it.

Greens against punishment
Not yet, as Governor Wallner emphasizes: ‘We are moving forward gradually. If a large number of cases are refused or if asylum seekers do not comply with the code, we will initiate a second phase.’ . The change in law has already been prepared and could be implemented within a few weeks, Wallner said. However, such a punishment would not be introduced until a year at the earliest, i.e. only after the state elections.

This is also because the Green coalition partner supports the ‘code’ in its current form, but speaks out against punishments: ‘I am happy that we Greens have gained the upper hand in the area of ​​possible sanctions and that there will be no reduction in pocket money . ”, emphasizes club president Eva Hammerer.

Create a culture of support and challenge
Wallner and Gantner do not want the code to be interpreted as a thumbscrew for asylum seekers. Rather, the goal is to create a culture of support and challenge. That is why the corresponding range of German and values ​​courses is also being expanded. Vorarlberg already offers German courses for frontline workers, and now these hours need to be almost doubled. And as for the values ​​courses, they will be held by the Federal Ministry of the Interior from June, and the state of Vorarlberg will only accept graduates of such a course. And once you arrive in the country, there is a second course.

Willingness to provide community service
The third central point of the agreement remains, namely the willingness to do charity work. Caritas is closely involved in providing this. The communities are the first point of contact, but associations and non-profit organizations must also be able to participate. “We want to offer communities ready-made products,” Gantner says. He mentions ‘control of introduced plant species’ (!) and ‘student pilot’ as examples of possible activities. The previous ‘neighborhood assistance model’, which was abolished by the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2016 despite protests, should serve as a model.

Message to the citizens in a super election year
The truth is of course that the “Vorarlberg Code” is not only aimed at asylum seekers, but is above all a message to the population. In this context, Wallner referred to a survey showing that 80 percent of citizens in Vorarlberg are in favor of refugees being provided with integration services. It is therefore important to “take the issue and the population’s concerns about it seriously” and to prevent “chilling developments” such as those occurring outside Austria from even happening. The credo should be: “In Vorarlberg you cannot live against us or next to us, but only with us.”

The question arises whether the code is the right tool for successful integration. In any case, the opposition’s enthusiasm is limited. For SPÖ regional leader Mario Leiter, the agreement is nothing more than a ‘PR stunt’: ‘A code without a legal basis is a directive without a binding character. I reject this kind of politics on such an important issue.” The reaction of NEOS club president Johannes Gasser is similar: “I keep asking myself whether the ÖVP is really interested in successful integration or only in the headlines.”