Austrian authorities decided to temporarily suspend the reunification of families for asylum seekers. This has become part of a new approach to migration policy aimed at limiting the entry of refugees and reducing the burden on the country's social services.
Interior Minister Gerhard Carner has officially confirmed this information and stated that in the near future he would present the relevant project at a meeting with European colleagues. According to his comment, the government has already decided to introduce a quota system for families reunification, and the first quota is zero.
This initiative was also supported by the Chancellor of Austria Christian Shtokker, who heads the Austrian People's Party. He noted that the decision to terminate the reunification of families was agreed in the government program and aimed at monitoring migration policies. The government also does not exclude that in the event of an overload of the asylum system, additional restrictions will be imposed, until the complete termination of the receipt of refugee status.
The authorities emphasize that the issue of migration is important for the country, as the number of asylum seekers is increasing every year. Thus, according to the official data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Austria, in 2023, 7,760 people arrived in the country in 2023, and in 2022 - 9 254 people arrived. Most of them are children, which creates an additional burden on the educational system, including schools and kindergartens.
Critics of this decision emphasize that it violates Austria's international obligations and can adversely affect the fate of families who have been divorced through war or other crisis circumstances. Human rights organizations have already expressed concern by this decision and are urging the government to find a compromise solution that would preserve humanitarian standards, but at the same time control migration flows.
It is unknown how long it will work to suspend the reunification of families. This decision has caused a lively discussion in the political and public circles of the country, and it is expected that the government will present a more detailed plan on further steps in the field of migration policy.
