"Catastrophic Conditions" in Vienna's MA 35: Administrative Court Complains About Flood of Complaints

According to the Administrative Court, the number of legal cases received last year totaled around 17,700 proceedings. Compared to the previous year, this meant an increase of about 1,400. The development is problematic according to the activity report because, above all, the procedures deemed to be complex in citizenship law have "markedly" increased. 941 legal cases were added in this area.

Demand for More Judicial Personnel

In 2023, there were still 564. The increase, it is complained, amounts to 67 percent. In general, the report calls for more additional judicial personnel to cope with the increasing workload.

The Greens now criticize that the new figures are in "stark contradiction" to the "mantra-like repeated" assurances of the NEOS, according to which the grievances in the area of MA 35 could be improved. The department has been under the pink coalition partner of the SPÖ since 2020. For a long time, NEOS city councilor Christoph Wiederkehr was responsible, now it is his successor Bettina Emmerling.

Conditions in Vienna MA 35: Greens Hold NEOS Accountable

"The current figures from the Vienna Administrative Court prove that things in the authority for immigration and citizenship are still in disarray. For an entire legislative period, the NEOS promised improvement. But the situation in the area of citizenship has even worsened," criticized the Green integration spokesperson Berivan Aslan in a statement sent to the APA. The conditions for those affected are completely unacceptable, she stated.

According to the Greens, the number of default complaints received by the Administrative Court is particularly dramatic. One still has to wait about a year for an initial consultation appointment. The Administrative Court proves that the conditions in MA 35 remain catastrophic. "The long waiting times are unworthy of a city like Vienna and are both an imposition and an integration hurdle for many people."

However, the employees at the Administrative Court are not only burdened by MA 35. There are also 371 new cases concerning criminal proceedings due to the new rental scooter regulation of the magistrate. The regulations here have recently been significantly tightened. "Especially in this matter, a further noticeable increase is expected in 2025," the report warns.

(APA/Red.)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.