The federal government is removing the borderline between asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, the Austrian right wing says. Therefore, the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) would introduce concrete measures to tackle the unjustified destruction of the social system.

Asylum means temporary protection, not a cover for mass immigration, especially into our social system, the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) said, in reaction to efforts by the Austrian government to facilitate the arrival of immigrants and family reunification. All this is making the social system less and less able to cope with such a large number of people, most of whom are not even entitled to benefits, they said.

The co-ruling Austrian People’s Party is increasingly blurring the clear distinction between asylum and immigration. Austria’s Integration Minister Susanne Raab has stated outright that this type of immigration – the involuntary self-segregation – is the most expensive form of immigration.

– FPO party leader Herbert Kickl underlined that FPO was the only party that draws a clear line between asylum and immigration. This was presented earlier as part of a 23-point package of measures to prevent Austria from becoming a destination country for the new mass migration.

„This includes not only ending the right to asylum and access to our social system for asylum seekers, but also ending the granting of citizenship to asylum seekers. Asylum means protection for a limited period of time, which means that staying in our country is time-limited, the aim is to return to the country of origin – and as quickly as possible. This should exclude the acquisition of citizenship.”

– Mr Kickl said. Fellow MEP Hannes Amesbauer emphasized that experience had shown that people granted asylum or subsidiary protection were less likely to work and often had few formal qualifications. Seventy per cent of those who were granted asylum status in 2022 were unable to read or write – half of them not even in their mother tongue, at least according to the annual migration report published earlier this year.