Country "overburdened"

Refugee center for Ukrainians in Graz closes

Until now, refugees have been able to register at Burggasse in Graz. Only Vienna and Styria have this center.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

"Styria severely overburdened": According to information from "Krone", the blue-black state government is stopping the registration of refugees from Ukraine as of March 1. This is the background.

Following the "scharf" campaign in Styrian asylum homes, the blue-black provincial government is making another bombshell in refugee policy: according to information from the "Steirerkrone" newspaper, the arrival center for displaced persons from Ukraine will be closed as of 1 March!

Until now, refugees have been able to register on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Burggasse in Graz - with around 360 registrations per month, the number is roughly the same as in Vienna. Only the federal capital and Styria still have this office, other federal states have already closed it down.

We are the penultimate federal state to end the 'one-stop store' for the registration of Ukrainian refugees.

FPÖ-Landesrat Hannes Amesbauer

The FPÖ and ÖVP argue the measure to the "Steirerkrone" with a "massive overload", as Ukrainians were taken to emergency shelters immediately after their official registration and then directly admitted to basic care. Recently, there have also been numerous misrepresentations regarding the actual country of origin. There are currently a good 6000 Ukrainians in the Styrian basic welfare services.

We want to put a stop to this abuse and relieve the burden on emergency shelters.

ÖVP-Landesrat Karlheinz Kornhäusl

Hannes Amesbauer, the Social Affairs Councillor for the Freedom Party, speaks of "far too high asylum numbers" and an "all-inclusive service that can no longer be explained, especially in times of necessary budget consolidation". He expects the authorities and the domestic social system to be relieved.

And ÖVP provincial councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl emphasized that "the closure of the center will put a stop to abuse".