Österreich plant, Zahlungen an Ukrainer aufgrund von Verdachtsmomenten des ‚Flüchtlingstourismus‘ zu reduzieren

Österreich erwägt, Zahlungen an ukrainische Flüchtlinge zu reduzieren, da die Zahl der Anträge von Bewohnern der Transkarpatien steigt, was Verdachtsmomente des ‚Flüchtlingstourismus‘ aufwirft. Erfahren Sie, welche Änderungen in naher Zukunft für Flüchtlinge erwartet werden.

Rechtsberatung zu Migrationsfragen

HOLEN

Austrian authorities have announced plans to tighten controls on social benefits for Ukrainian refugees amid a surge in applications from Zakarpattia, a region outside the war zone. Officials have expressed concern about possible abuse of state aid programmes, according to Kosmo.

Restrictions on payments to Ukrainian refugees

More and more people from Zakarpattia are applying for assistance in Austria, with many facing a language barrier as they have poor Ukrainian or Russian language skills and often low literacy levels. This has raised suspicions of attempts to fraudulently obtain social benefits.

In the federal state of Salzburg, around 90% of all new asylum applications now come from these groups, placing a significant burden on schools, kindergartens and local communities.

Austria also faces significant financial costs due to child benefits, which range from €180 to €250 depending on the age of the child, as well as additional childcare payments.

Unlike other asylum seekers, Ukrainians receive extended support, including basic financial assistance, housing subsidies and family allowances. There are currently around 90,000 Ukrainian refugees living in Austria.

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The fight against refugee tourism

Anton Holzer, asylum coordinator in Salzburg, has reported cases of so-called ‘refugee tourism’, where families who previously received assistance in France or Spain are moving to Austria in search of more favourable social support conditions.

In response, the new Minister for Family Affairs, Claudia Plakolm, announced the creation of a working group to prevent abuse of family benefits.

Among the first measures is a reduction in the period for receiving child benefits and childcare allowances from one year to six months. In addition, a new system of strict criteria for receiving social assistance will be introduced on 31 October to reduce Austria's attractiveness to ‘benefit tourists’.

An important reminder! It is important for Ukrainians not only to follow the news on EU visa policy, but also to be prepared for changes. Visit Ukraine's lawyers can always help you with complex migration issues - our team specializes in legalization, residence permits, permanent residence, temporary protection, and other migration issues.

So, if you have any questions about staying abroad, please contact Visit Ukraine specialists!

Reminder! The European Union is tightening asylum rules by announcing a new list of ‘safe countries.’ Find out more about how these changes will affect Ukrainians under temporary protection in the EU and why human rights activists are criticising this decision.

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