Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner rejected a proposal that asylum seekers be granted access to the labor market from the very first day of their stay. The initiative was put forward by Tyrol Governor Anton Mattle and sparked disagreements within the ruling Austrian People's Party.
Karner pointed out that asylum seekers can already perform community service. According to him, five Austrian provinces have also introduced a corresponding obligation.
“They can perform community service,” the interior minister said in a written statement on Mattle's proposal.
Current rules allow work after three months
In Austria, asylum seekers can start working under an employment contract no earlier than after three months have elapsed. This requires a specific employer to request the person in question, and the position must not be able to be filled by a local worker.
The check is carried out by the Austrian Public Employment Service. Thus, access to the labor market is not automatic even after the three-month period has expired.
Mattle defended his idea by arguing that people who arrive legally in Tyrol and Austria should contribute to society. “The state cannot constantly talk about readiness to work and then place asylum seekers in the basic welfare system,” he said.
The governor specified that this marked a departure from the position of the party's federal leadership.
Finance minister more open to change
Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer of the Social Democratic Party took a more positive stance toward the proposal. He stressed that even under the current rules, starting work is possible in certain cases.
“For me, it is better for people to be employed and integrate in this way than to be idle somewhere,” Marterbauer told journalists. He added that the conditions should be examined carefully, but in his view integration through work and education is crucial.
For the time being, the interior ministry's position remains that access to the labor market should not be granted automatically from the first day. Thus, Mattle's proposal does not receive support from the minister responsible for the matter, while the finance minister insists that employment can help integration.
Sources: orf.at