After sharp criticism from the Greens of their asylum tweet, ÖVP Secretary General Laura Sachslehner adds: “In the first third of the year there were around 16,000 asylum applications in Austria. Most of these were provided by Afghans (4,245), followed by Syrians (3,920) and Tunisians (1,520),” she reports. “This means that Austria has the second highest per capita burden in the EU. We also see that the numbers have more than doubled compared to last year.”
The European Union should not allow itself to be tempted by the necessary neighborhood aid for Ukraine into opening the borders for all migrants. A clear distinction must be made between the war expellees from the Ukraine and all other migrants who mostly want to go to Austria for economic reasons. While 69 percent of wartime refugees from Ukraine are women, 84 percent of asylum applications across all groups of origin are men.
“Neighborly help for the Ukraine (distance Vienna – Lviv: around 580 kilometers) is not to be equated with asylum applications from Afghanistan (distance Vienna – Kabul: around 4560 kilometers) and Syria (distance Vienna – Aleppo: around 2160 kilometers),” says Sachslehner. Syrians and Afghans “already cross a large number of countries on their way to Austria. Thus, the search for a better life and not protection from war and persecution is in the foreground,” says the ÖVP Secretary General.
For Sachslehner, one thing is clear: “In view of these developments, effective protection of the European external border is now required, as well as the consistent fight against illegal smuggling.”
The trigger for the coalition dispute was a posting by Laura Sachslehner – which eXXpress reported. She tweeted: “A total of 16,000 asylum applications have already been made this year. The vast majority of asylum seekers come from Afghanistan & Syria. This means that Austria suffers from the second highest per capita burden of asylum applications in the EU.” And: “We need effective external border protection here. Ukrainians should continue to receive unrestricted aid and admission to the EU. At the same time, however, illegal migration must be vigorously prevented. Complete controls are necessary at the EU’s external borders.”
The green critics came across the word “suffering”. Green Member of the National Council and deputy club chairwoman Meri Disoski explained: “This thread is shameful! Our country suffers from politicians who want to change small political coins on the backs of those seeking protection.”
Ex-Minister of Health Rudolf Anschober wrote on Twitter that he “suffers from such statements”.
