There are also refuseniks

Asylum: 3300 participants so far

The "basic regulation courses" for asylum seekers initiated by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) have got off to a good start. According to the ministry's statistics, there were 3300 participants in the first five months.

Those who receive protection and support must also know the basic rules of our democratic coexistence, Karner explains in a written statement. He sees these, as well as the benefits in kind card and the obligation to do community service, as a "clear sign of a stricter and therefore fairer system".

The courses were introduced in May. The aim was to involve refugees even before their asylum status had been clarified. A curriculum was developed by the Federal Support Agency together with the Integration Fund, and almost 1,200 modules have been carried out so far.

Culture, manners and co
These include culture and manners, democracy, rights and duties, equal rights and saying no to anti-Semitism. The "basic rules courses" supplement the "orientation and values courses" that must be completed by refugees who have already been recognized.

So far, 48 people have refused to attend the courses - and had to accept their pocket money being halved to 20 euros.