1. Figures and Facts About Asylum
1. Figures and facts about asylum
Principle countries of origin of asylum seekers year 2005
Place / Country / Number of asylum applicants1 / Serbia and Montenegro / 4.403
2 / Russian Federation / 4.335
3 / India / 1.530
4 / Moldova / 1.210
5 / Turkey / 1.064
6 / Georgia / 954
7 / Afghanistan / 923
8 / Nigeria / 880
9 / Mongolia / 640
10 / Bangladesh / 548
Evolution of the number of asylum applications
2004 / 2005 / Difference +/-First applications / 24.634 / 22.461 / -1.993
Rejections / 5.209 / 5.624 / +415
Removals / n.a. / 5.396
Recognitions / 5.208 / 4.528 / -680
Voluntary/mandatory returns / n.a. / 3.321
Number of Dublin cases sending out of the country / 225 / 436 / +211
Number of Dublin cases sending into the county / n.a. / n.a.
Remarks:
Non refoulement / Granted / Rejected2004 / 2.641 / 3.625
2005 / 772 / 4.052
Difference / -1.869 / +427
In 2005 about 8.630 proceedings were closed due to the absence of the asylum applicant or due to the application withdrawal or similar. This would mean, that out of total applications 13.831 asylum cases were dealt with. With regard to this the recognition quota would be 32,74 % (only rough numbers).
In 2004 about 15.219 proceedings were closed. On the basis that 9.415 applications were proceeded, the recognition quota would be 55,32 %.
Dokument1Page 1
2. Political and legal developments
2005 stood in the light of the discussions on the new codification process of several laws addressing refugees and aliens (pipeline and ratification phase). In June 2005 the Parliament finally adopted the new “Aliens law package” comprising the new codification of the Asylum Law, the separation of the Aliens law and its new codification into Aliens Police Law and Residence Law, the amendment of the Federal Basic Welfare Law on Aliens, the amendment of the Law on Employment of Foreigners, the amendment of the Law on the Independent Asylum Review Board as effective by January 1, 2006.
In addition to it, the Security Police law was amended, granting police more effective power and the Citizienship Law amendment was also undertaken.
3. Asylum seekers / migrants issues raised in your country
2005 discussionswere overshadowed by the new legislative measures and the enacting procedure. Most of the criticism expressed by human rights activists, NGO and legal experts focused on the Aliens Police Law regulation mainly with regard to
forcible feeding of aliens to be expelled and are striking hunger,
to the prolonged durability of stay under custody pending expulsion, especially as asylum seekers are concerned;
further criticism was expressed on the Asylum Law as regards mainly
the movement restrictions of asylum seekers during the admission procedure,
the possibility that asylum seekers (preferably with EURODAC hit) could be easily taken under custody pending removal to the country in charge (Dublin II cases!),
the withdrawal of the clause, that traumatised people are safe from expulsion and now could be restituted even traumatised as long as the physical removal does not cause any worse to the diagnosed health condition;
also criticised was the Residence Law and its restricted policy about family reunion as third country nationals are concerned, as well as the Citizienship Law with regard to the longer defined waiting periods enabling to gain citizienship and new legal entries about the reasons of rejection (mainly corresponding to the strict regulations of the Aliens Police Law in what case a ban on residence has to be pronounced f.e. conviction).
4. Red Cross activities in the field of migration (asylum, migration, irregular migration)
Target Group / Title of Activity / Short Description of Activity / Provider of activity within RC (National Headquarter, regional / local Branch, etc.)Asylum-Seekers / Advisory centre for basic welfare matters / Focuses on counselling on social support aspects like benefits, housing, training, jobs and further integration measures as on socio-medical care and perspectives for legal stay / ARC Vienna branch
Care and Reception Centres / Provides housing and care; 2 such centres with different sized capacity (one is more single men oriented and the other one more family oriented) / ARC Vienna branch and ARC Upper Austria branch
Asylum lawyers network / Cofounder (together with Caritas and UNHCR) of this legal and administrative assistance structure. Comprises information on the asylum claim and assistance at the appeal level, especially as authorized legal representative before the Independent Asylum Review Board. / ARC HQ
ACCORD / Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation – Information platform and member of the ecoi.net network; Government’s official “Country documentation service” focusing on reliable information about the Country of Origin in all aspects regarding the asylum procedure but also resettlement / ARC HQ
European Open Forum on reception and health for asylum seekers / ERF funded project under realisation of the ARC and the IRC EU Office – international conference / ARC HQ
Medical aid to people without social security / Providing people without social security with necessary medical drugs / ARC HQ
Tracing services / Tracing, restoring family links, family messages, work in link with the ICRC for issuance of documents, health and welfare reports etc. / ARC HQ and other branches in cooperation with HQ
Financial aid / As a service of the Emergency aid, financial support is given after verifying the emergency situation either in financial means, in kind, or both. / ARC HQ
Refugees / Study support for children migrants / Supporting school children at learning; support of pre-school children envisaged / Austrian Youth Red Cross Tyrol and Carinthia branch
Advisory centre for basic welfare matters / See above – asylum seekers / ARC Vienna branch
Medical aid to people without social security / Providing people without social security with necessary medical drugs / ARC HQ
Housing service / Providing housing for recognized refugees in rented appartements / ARC HQ
Tracing services / Tracing, restoring family links, family messages, work in link with the ICRC for issuance of documents, health and welfare reports etc. / ARC HQ and other branches in cooperation with HQ
Financial aid / See above – asylum seekers / ARC HQ
Migrants / German language classes / Responding to the Austrian respective laws ARC is offering language courses which are mandatory for labour migrants legal stay (Certification of A2 language level) / ARC HQ and ARC Vienna branch
Medical aid to people without social security / See above
Fiancial aid / See above
Diversity @ care / ESF-EQUAL Development partnership with 4 other NGO on health vocational training / ARC Vienna branch
Dokument1Page 1