Category: Austria

Austria’s Integration Minister Claudia Bauer is urging the government to move quickly on a new integration law, saying the country “urgently” needs the legislation. Bauer wants the reform of social assistance and the related integration obligations law to be ready by October so they can take effect at the beginning of next year. She made […]

The number of far right offences in Austria continued to rise in the first half of 2026, with 862 incidents recorded across the country. The figure was nearly 10 percent higher than during the same period last year, according to figures provided by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner in response to a parliamentary question from Social […]

EU Asylum Applications Fall to Lowest Level Since 2021 MALTA: Asylum applications across the European Union, Norway, and Switzerland have fallen once more, continuing a downward trend that has now lasted more than a year. Between January and June, the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA) recorded around 332,000 new applications; a drop of roughly 67,000, or […]

Austria’s government has announced an “autumn of results” as coalition leaders pledged to turn months of wrangling into concrete action. At a briefing on Wednesday, the heads of the three governing parties struck an optimistic tone, saying they expected to find solutions soon on a long list of disputes, from the federal public prosecutor’s office […]

VIENNA: Austria’s conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) is demanding a sweeping reform of Vienna’s minimum social assistance, arguing that current rules reward dependency and fuel rising public debt. The party says savings should come through stricter sanctions and controls, plus a “multi-child” benefit scale that reduces payments as family size grows. “Vienna must finally become the […]

Dual-national IS suspect shot dead after firing on Turkish police A 20-year-old Austrian-Turkish dual citizen was shot dead by police in Istanbul last Thursday after opening fire on officers during an anti–Islamic State (IS) operation, Austria’s Interior Ministry said Tuesday. The man died in a shootout at a bus terminal in the Turkish metropolis, where […]

Around 240,000 students in Vienna returned to school on Monday under a new and controversial rule: girls under 14 are no longer allowed to wear a headscarf that covers the head according to Islamic traditions. The ban applies to both public and private schools. But on the first morning, the rule was already being challenged. […]

Austria is preparing a major reform of its social welfare system, with the government promising stronger protection for those in need while placing greater emphasis on integration, education and employment. Social Affairs Minister Korinna Schumann of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) has presented the main points of the proposed “New Social Assistance” to her coalition […]

As Austrian classrooms filled again this September, a new law walked in with the students: girls under 14 may no longer wear headscarves to school. The rule, passed by Austria’s centrist coalition, bans “traditional Muslim” coverings such as hijabs and burkas in both public and private schools. Integration Minister Claudia Bauer of the conservative ÖVP […]

In the quiet corridors of Austria’s coalition government, a promise made to the nation’s youngest citizens is becoming a battleground. The “Future Depot” (Zukunftsdepot), championed by Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP), was meant to give every newborn a financial start in life, a tax-free savings account, seeded with 500 euros, left to grow until adulthood. But […]