Vienna Schools at Their Limit: Mayor Ludwig Views Halt to Family Reunification Positively
Vienna is currently struggling with the consequences of family reunification. Vienna Today reports that around 630 adults and children come to Austria every month, with about 80 percent of these immigrants settling in the federal capital. This has resulted in rising social costs and schools being heavily overloaded. The Vienna education department reports that since 2022, approximately 4,000 additional children enter primary schools each school year. A large portion of these children have difficulty following the lessons because they either do not speak German at all or speak it insufficiently.
Vienna Mayor Ludwig Welcomes Halt to Family Reunification
Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig welcomes the federal decision to halt family reunification. He stated at a press conference that a temporally extended regulation would be "certainly helpful in integration." Ludwig is optimistic that the necessary adjustments can be implemented in accordance with European law. A year ago, he had already called for measures to improve integration, including longer waiting periods.
The federal government justifies the intended halt to family reunification with a clause that allows Austria to take appropriate measures in case of system overload. This overload is particularly attributed to the education system.
Attack on Human Rights: Criticism of the Federal Decision
However, there is also criticism of this measure. Amnesty International argues that a decline in family reunification is already noticeable and that a halt violates the European Convention on Human Rights. Dominik Nepp, the FPÖ Vienna leader, also criticizes the government's plans as mere announcement politics and questions whether an immediate implementation of a zero quota can be discussed.
Interior Minister Gernot Karner (ÖVP) has not yet published clear details on the regulation and the duration of the planned halt.
(Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.