Vienna. Ever since Prime Minister Karl Nehammer presented the ÖVP’s Austrian plan, “No cash for refugees!” The debate gained momentum. Latest Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) in her guest commentary in „Kleine Zeitung“ “Ensuring that state aid for basic daily needs is used in this direction during the asylum process” He wrote that it should. Raab, “Funds should not be misused, for example sent to relatives in their home countries in Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq.” he commented.
So how much money do refugees in Austria receive?
At the beginning of the asylum procedure, after submitting the application, refugees are sent to an initial reception centre, for example in Traiskirchen in Lower Austria. They are housed and fed there for free. They also receive pocket money of 40 euros per month.
If the asylum authority decides that the asylum procedure will be carried out in Austria, responsibility for accommodation and care is transferred from the federal government to the states, as stipulated by the federal-state agreement signed in 2004. Money-wise, things get more complicated from there, as there are different forms of accommodation available and payment practices also vary from state to state. Where accommodation is largely provided by venue owners or other private providers, full service is often available. In this case, as in the first reception centre, refugees stay free of charge and meals are served three times a day. Financially, nothing changes for them compared to the first reception centre; Cash payments are still limited to 40 Euros per month.
705 Euros for a family
Since many refugees choose to cook for themselves, many organized accommodation facilities have switched to a different food system. Citizens receive money for shopping. According to the federal-state agreement, how much is regulated in terms of maximum rates – specifically 6.50 euros per person per day. This subsistence allowance also needs to be used to purchase public transport tickets, as well as other essentials such as shampoo and soap. For a family of three, this means 585 euros per month. There is also pocket money, which brings the total to 705 euros per month. Organized accommodation has no other source of income.
970 Euros for three people for life
In many cities, especially Vienna, asylum seekers do not live in organized accommodation. They get together and rent an apartment – or, like many of those deported from war from Ukraine, they are housed by people based on solidarity, often for two years. In this case, refugees are given a special rental allowance of up to 165 euros for individuals and 330 euros for families. In addition, 260 euros per month is given for living expenses for adults and 145 euros for children.
Including pocket money, which increases by 10 euros for leisure expenses in Vienna, this amount corresponds to 970 euros per month for the above-mentioned family of three and one child. According to Christoph Riedl, Asylum Expert at Diakonie, in many other federal states privately hosted asylum seekers are not paid pocket money.
Asylum seekers in many federal states receive this amount in cash. In Vienna and Salzburg, funds are transferred to basic accounts that refugees, like other people, can open at financial institutions. The card, called the Eleg card in Tirol, allows you to withdraw cash, but you can only shop with this card in certain contracted supermarkets. ( news)
2024-02-07 13:28:30