Annual Policy Report Austria
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AUSTRIA ANNUAL POLICY REPORT 2016 The European Migration Network (EMN) is coordinated by the European Commission with National Contact Points (EMN NCPs) established in each EU Member State plus Norway. The National Contact Point Austria in the EMN is financially supported by the European Commission and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior. National Contact Point Austria in the European Migration Network AUSTRIA – ANNUAL POLICY REPORT 2016 The opinions expressed in the report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, the European Commission and/or the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration, to advance understanding of migration issues, to encourage social and economic development through migration and to uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. Cover Design: International Organization for Migration, Country Office for Austria Publisher: International Organization for Migration, Country Office for Austria National Contact Point Austria in the European Migration Network Nibelungengasse 13/4, 1010 Vienna Tel.: +43 1 585 33 22 0 Fax: +43 1 585 33 22 30 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Internet: www.iomvienna.at, www.emn.at © May 2017, International Organization for Migration (IOM) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. EUROPEAN MIGRATION NETWORK The European Migration Network (EMN) was launched in 2003 by the European Commission by order of the European Council in order to satisfy the need for a regular exchange of reliable information in the field of migration and asylum at the European level. Since 2008, Council Decision 2008/381/EC has constituted the legal basis of the EMN and National Contact Points (NCPs) have been established in the EU Member States (with the exception of Denmark, which has observer status) plus Norway. The EMN's role is to meet the information needs of European Union (EU) institutions and of Member States’ authorities and institutions by providing up-to-date, objective, reliable and comparable information on migration and asylum, with a view to supporting policymaking in the EU in these areas. The EMN also has a role in providing such information to the wider public. The NCP Austria is – pursuant to an agreement with the Federal Ministry of the Interior – located in the Research and Migration Law Department of the Country Office for Austria of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM office was established in 1952 when Austria became one of the first members of the Organization. The main responsibility of the IOM Country Office is to analyse national migration issues and emerging trends and to develop and implement respective national projects and programmes. The main task of the NCPs is to implement the work programme of the EMN including the drafting of the annual policy report and topic-specific studies, answering Ad Hoc Queries launched by other NCPs or the European Commission, carrying out visibility activities and networking in several forums. Furthermore, the NCPs in each country set up national networks consisting of organizations, institutions and individuals working in the field of migration and asylum. In general, the NCPs do not conduct primary research but collect and analyse existing data and information. Exceptions might occur when these are not sufficient. EMN studies are elaborated in accordance with common study templates in order to achieve comparable results within the EU and Norway. Since the comparability of the results is frequently challenging, the EMN has produced a glossary, which ensures the application of similar definitions and terminology in all national reports. Upon completion of national reports, the European Commission with the support of a service provider drafts a synthesis report, which summarizes the most significant results of the individual national reports. In addition, topic-based policy briefs, so-called EMN Informs, are produced in order to present selected topics and compare national results in a concise manner. All national studies, synthesis reports, informs and the Glossary are available on the website of the European Commission Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs. III CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 2 1.1. Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.2. Methodology and Definitions ......................................................................................... 2 2. CONTEXT OF ASYLUM AND MIGRATION POLICY DEVELOPMENTS .......... 4 2.1. General Political Developments ..................................................................................... 4 2.2. Broader Policy Changes ................................................................................................. 4 2.3. Main Legislative Developments ..................................................................................... 5 2.3.1. Legislative Developments in 2016 ........................................................................ 5 2.3.2. Planned Legislative Developments ...................................................................... 6 3. LEGAL MIGRATION AND MOBILITY ...................................................................... 9 3.1. Economic Migration ....................................................................................................... 9 3.1.1. Instruments for Managing Labour Migration ...................................................... 9 3.1.2. Skills Recognition ................................................................................................. 9 3.1.3. Efforts to Prevent Social Dumping ..................................................................... 10 3.2. Family Reunification .................................................................................................... 10 3.3. Managing Migration and Mobility ............................................................................... 11 3.3.1. Schengen Governance and Temporary Suspension of Schengen ....................... 11 3.3.2. International Cooperation on Border Management and Control ...................... 13 4. INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION ............................................................................ 16 4.1. Asylum Trends ............................................................................................................. 16 4.2. Humanitarian Admission .............................................................................................. 16 4.3. The National Asylum System ....................................................................................... 17 4.3.1. Challenges .......................................................................................................... 17 4.3.2. Institutional Changes ......................................................................................... 18 4.3.3. Efficiency and Quality ........................................................................................ 18 4.4. International Protection Procedure ............................................................................... 19 4.4.1. Access to the Procedure ..................................................................................... 19 4.4.2. Information Provision ........................................................................................ 20 4.4.3. Specific Aspects of the Procedure ...................................................................... 20 4.5. Reception of Applicants for International Protection ................................................... 23 IV 4.6. Cooperation with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and Support to Member States and Third-Countries of First Asylum and Origin ................................ 23 5. UNACCOMPANIED MINORS AND OTHER VULNERABLE GROUPS ............. 25 5.1. Trends in Asylum Applications Lodged by Unaccompanied Minors .......................... 25 5.2. Asylum-seeking Unaccompanied Minors .................................................................... 25 5.3. Other Vulnerable Groups in the Asylum Reception System ........................................ 26 6. INTEGRATION .............................................................................................................. 27 6.1. Integration Report ......................................................................................................... 27 6.2. Language Skills and Education ...................................................................................