Fierce debate

Province blocks compulsory residence for refugees

Most of those apprehended immediately apply for asylum.(Bild: Christian Schulter)

The initiative from Vienna, which is aimed at "fair distribution" and nationwide solidarity, is causing headaches in Burgenland.

Three refugees have been picked up in Burgenland in the past week. Many residents in border towns such as Deutschkreutz and Nikitsch can hardly believe this low number of immigrants. For a long time, they were used to seeing 30 or more new migrants on their doorstep every day. Thanks to increased cross-border measures such as Operation Fox, smuggling gangs have been switching to other routes since the fall of 2023.

One of the three smugglers' cars, stopped in Neumarkt an der Raab.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

2024: Fewer smugglers, fewer refugees 
So far this year, only 221 refugees have been stranded in Burgenland and four smugglers have been arrested. The police had previously taken stock of this in just 24 hours, rather than after almost four months. As reported, the only major operation took place almost two weeks ago in Neumarkt an der Raab. A gang of smugglers wanted to bring five men and seven women, all from China, to Austria in three vehicles. The trio of perpetrators were also Chinese from Italy.

Checks continue in Burgenland.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

Vienna plays ball with the federal states
Calm quickly returned to the border. However, Vienna has now sparked a debate about a residence requirement for refugees. According to the proposal, recognized immigrants who are not working should have to live for three years in the federal state in which their procedure was completed. Vienna's red-pink city government is calling for a "fair distribution", while solidarity is expected from the other federal states. The argument is that Vienna has come under pressure due to the sharp rise in the number of family reunifications.

109,000 asylum applications in Burgenland in two years
The proposal for compulsory residence, which originally came from the head of Austria's AMS, has set alarm bells ringing in Eisenstadt. According to the state police directorate, around 80,000 refugees will have applied for asylum in Burgenland in 2022 and a further 29,000 in 2023. "Depending on the model, this would mean that most of these 109,000 immigrants, i.e. more than a third of our total population, would have to be looked after in Burgenland. This cannot be taken seriously," says SPÖ party chairman Roland Fürst. The proposal is rejected. Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) has already expressed her reservations about the Vienna proposal.