Austria freezes family reunifications for asylum claimants

By Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich

VIENNA (Reuters) -The new Austrian government ordered an immediate halt to family reunifications for asylum claimants on Wednesday as it seeks to address widespread concern about immigration that has stoked support for the far-right.

Invoking European Union emergency provisions relating to national security, the three-party coalition said it was temporarily freezing all follow-on rights for family members of people granted asylum in Austria.

"The capacity of Austria and its systems to take in (people) has limits," said the government headed by Chancellor Christian Stocker of the centre-right People's Party (OVP). "Due to the enormous influx of people, these systems are already at full capacity, or have already exceeded their capacity limits."

Critics said the halt was a breach of human rights.

"It's not a good sign when the term in office begins with a clear violation of applicable international law," said Shoura Hashemi, head of Amnesty International Austria.

Stocker took office earlier this month after the longest-ever stretch of negotiations to form a government in Austria's postwar history. That followed a September parliamentary election victory by the far-right Freedom Party (FPO).

The FPO won with about 29% of the vote but failed to agree a ruling coalition, opening the door for the OVP to govern with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPO) and liberal Neos.

Concern over immigration in Austria has been fuelled by fallout from recent security incidents linked to Islamist extremism including a stabbing rampage last month suspected of being carried out by a Syrian asylum seeker that killed a 14-year-old boy.

The government said that in 2023 and 2024, about 18,000 people came to Austria as part of family reunification, including 13,000 school-age children or minors.

"Given the number, it's obvious we should act responsibly and temporarily press the stop button," Stocker said.

(Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich, Writing by Dave Graham, Editing by John Revill and Philippa Fletcher)

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