Amendments to the Asylum and Aliens’ Law

Policy Response DateJanuary 1, 2010 Country: Austria Address: Vienna General Type: Equality/Integration Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants, Asylum seekers Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Policing - law enforcement, Integration - social cohesion

A bill amending the Asylum Act, the Residence and Settlement Act and the Aliens’ Police Act (Fremdenrechtsänderungsgesetz - Aliens’ Law Amendment Act), which was adopted by the Government on September 14th, 2009, was voted in parliament (National Assembly) on October 21st, 2009 and entered into force on january 1st, 2010. UNHCR and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights criticised that the amendments would be driven by a “general mistrust towards asylum seekers”. UNHCR was particularly concerned about the introduction of further five pre-removal detention grounds for asylum seekers and the reduction of the time limit for appeals against first instance asylum decisions from two weeks to one week in certain cases – especially in view of the increasing number of detainees who will not have meaningful access to legal counselling. UNHCR saw further shortcomings in the lack of a possibility to complain against a negative decision in case of a subsequent application under certain circumstances; and in the prescribed DNA analyses to determine family relationship.

Sources:

UNHCR, Kurzanalyse der Regierungsvorlage für das Fremdenrechtsänderungsgesetz 2009, 2009-10-02, http://www.unhcr.at/no_cache/recht/i4-asyl-in-oesterreich/42-unhcr-positionen-zu-asyl-in-oesterreich.html?cid=4913&did=7554&sechash=ee8b6ffd (2011-09-28)

Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Menschenrechte, Presseaussendung: Stellungnahme des Ludwig Boltzmann Instituts für Menschenrechte zum Fremdenrechtsänderungsgesetz 2009, 2009-10-21 , http://bim.lbg.ac.at/de/asyl-und-flucht/stellungnahme-des-ludwig-boltzmann-instituts-fuer-menschenrechte-zum-fremdenrechtsae (2011-09-28)

Regierungsvorlage betreffend Bundesgesetz, mit dem das Asylgesetz 2005, das Fremdenpolizeigesetz 2005, das Gebührengesetz 1957, das Grundversorgungsgesetz – Bund 2005, das Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz, das Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz 1985 und das Tilgungsgesetz 1972 geändert werden (Fremdenrechtsänderungsgesetz 2009 – FrÄG 2009), 330 d.B. (XXIV. GP), http://www.parlinkom.gv.at/PG/DE/XXIV/I/I_00330/pmh.shtml (2011-09-28)