COUNTRY UPDATE FOR 2009: n Red Cross 1. Figures and facts about immigration Please add the percentage of males/females where possible National population: 8.363.040, males: 4.072.866 (48,7%), females: 4.290.174 (51,3%) (http://www.statistik.at) Percentage of population that are immigrants: non-n citizens: 881.839 (10,5%) (http://www.statistik.at); population with migratory background (n citizenship, but either self or parents immigrated): 1.468.101 (17,8%) (http://www.integrationsfonds.at/publikationen/zahlen_und_fakten/statistikjahrbuch_2 010/) Estimated number of undocumented migrants: 36,000 (2008) (http://irregular-migration.hwwi.de/country-reports.6114.0.html) Main countries of origin of immigrants regardless of status Source: http://www.statistik.at Place Country Number of immigrants 1 Serbia, Montenegro, 134.865 Kosovo 2 Germany 130.684 3 Turkey 110.678 4 Bosnia/Herzegowina 84.587 5 Croatia 56.309 2. Figures and facts about asylum Source: http://www.bmi.gv.at Main countries of origin of asylum seekers year 2009 Place Country Number of asylum applicants 1 Russian Federation 3.559 2 Afghanistan 2.237 3 Kosovo 1.332 4 Georgia 975 5 Nigeria 837 6 Serbia 701 7 Turkey 554 8 Armenia 440 9 India 427
10 Iraq 399 Evolution of the number of asylum applications 2007 2008 Difference +/- First applications 11.921 12.841 +920 Rejections 6.646 7.968 +1322 Removals 5.111 5.317 +206 Recognitions 5.197 3.753-1444 Proportion of recognitions of 32% 24% -8% all the decisions (%) Voluntary returns 2.443 2.957 +514 Number of Dublin cases sent 2.798 4.277 +1479 back Number of Dublin cases received 2.041 1.755-286
2. Political and legal developments concerning migration issues Political changes (policy programmes, guidelines, etc.) Legal changes (laws, regulations, etc.) Asylum seekers /migrants related issues raised by media, authorities, NGOs, etc. Issue Short description Remarks (RC responses, problems related to these issues, etc.) Vienna elections 2010 National Action Plan for Integration 2009-2010 More obligations for asylum seekers Deportation of minors Greece/Dub lin Shift to the right (Right wing Freedom Party got almost 30% of the vote!) Proposed integration activities and measures catalogue by the n Integration Fund (close to Ministry of Interior), in cooperation with the n Red Cross and other NGOs Duty to cooperate during the asylum procedure; Asylum seekers have to stay for 120 hours in reception (detention) centre Deportation of minors caused vehement media discussion in ; as a result Ministry of interior revised the decision Ministry of Interior does not follow the recommendation of the ECHR to stop all returns to Greece until decision on the currently pending case(s), official statement on the legislation procedure, n Youth Red Cross Press releases, media statements, interviews and dialogue with asylum authorities regarding Dublin cases deportations to Greece 4. Red Cross activities in the field of migration List all different kinds of activities in order to make it easier to share ideas and good practices among the National Societies. Target Group Type of Activity Short Description of Activity Provider of activity within RC (National Headquarter, regional / local Branch, etc.) Asylum Seekers Basic support Refugee accommodation Regional branch Legal assistance Legal procedure assistance Awareness raising and advocacy Cost-free advocacy and legal representation in asylum procedures in cooperation with other NGOs and lawyers Country of origin information for asylum procedure (ACCORD, www.ecoi.net) Press release regarding Dublin cases deportations to Greece Upper
Refugees Labour Migrants Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings (VOTs) Undocumented Migrants Housing services Family reunification Housing, education, integration services Integration 25 Integration flats provided by the n Red Cross together with socially assisted accommodation in partnership with Social Services Vienna Legal assistance, (and in case of need, financial help) for family reunification of refugees, integration counselling for reunited families Youth centre for unaccompanied minors, Reg. Branch: Vienna and Lower Tracing services in and all 9 regional branches, integration counselling in 4 regional branches Regional branch Tyrol services Project Integration Buddies for reunited families Regional branch Styria Integration Integration counselling for Regional branches services reunited refugee families Vienna, Tyrol, Styria (forthcoming 2011) Education Learning houses for pupils with Regional branches migration origin (forthcoming Vienna and Upper 2011) Education, Peers education project for, regional awareness raising young people of migrant origin branches Education German language classes Regional branch Lower Basic support (for Österreichische Tafel the Regional branches all groups of n plate - cost-free food migrants) for special migrant groups in Basic support (for all migrant groups) Health services need Emergency aid Cost-free medical assistance for all persons without social security (Ambermed), regional branches in cooperation with Diakonie Other Migrants (e.g. migrants who have moved to country due to marriage or studies and thus cannot be considered as labour migrants)
Name and contact details of the lead person for migration matters within your National Society: Bernhard Schneider + 43-1-58900-117 bernhard.schneider@roteskreuz.at Minoo Amir-Mokri + 43-1-58900-164 minoo.amir-mokri@roteskreuz.at Diana Karabinova + 43-1-58900-185 diana.karabinova@roteskreuz.at