Welcoming the Unwelcome: The Politics of Minimum Reception Standards for Asylum Seekers in Austria

Protest Against the Reception of Asylum Seekers in Austria

“…However, the provinces have often been hesitant in fulfilling their task of accommodating refugees according to the respective size of their populations, not least due to the resistance of local municipalities. That way, the issue of the spatial distribution of asylum seekers has become a constant subject of political conflicts on the federal level (Rosenberger and König 2011).…”

Asylum Policies and Protests in Austria

“…The situation eased in 2004, when the Basic Welfare Support Agreement was concluded between the federal government and the nine provinces in order to regulate joint action on the reception of and temporary basic provisions for asylum seekers. Based on this agreement, the federal government has had to provide for basic care for asylum seekers once they file an application for international protection, while the provinces have had to grant basic welfare support once the application is admitted to the in-merit procedure (Rosenberger and König 2011). Through this agreement, Austria has also met EU minimum standard to ensure that a country provides for every asylum seeker (Schumacher et al 2012, 252).…”

Asylum seekers' experiences in Australia between 2012 and 2014: The Structural-Personal Interaction Process

“…Asylum seekers flee persecution inflicted upon them in their home countries, take arduous journeys to seek safety, and are discriminated against as non-citizens, being treated as less-than-human, in host countries (Bales 2013;Isaacs 2013;Morris 2010b). In host countries such as Australia, asylum seekers are subjected to harmful exclusionary policies including detention, limited financial and social support, and extraterritorial arrangements (Andersson and Nilsson 2011;Hynes 2011;Kalt et al 2013;Kneebone 2009a;Rosenberger and Konig 2012).…”

“…Industrialized countries, such as Australia, traditionally implement policies that aim to discriminate against and exclude asylum seekers (Hynes 2011;Kalt et al 2013;Kneebone 2009a;Rosenberger and Konig 2012). These policies include dispersion of asylum seekers in the community with little or no social or financial support, extraterritorial arrangements, and detention.…”

“…These policies include dispersion of asylum seekers in the community with little or no social or financial support, extraterritorial arrangements, and detention. These policies are intended to restrict the movement of asylum seekers by making it unattractive for them to leave the geographical areas from which they originally fled (Andersson and Nilsson 2011;Hynes 2011;Kalt et al 2013;Rosenberger and Konig 2012). Yet, asylum seekers still flee their home countries.…”