VIENNA,
May 15, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) - Austrian Muslims have expressed
concerns at a modified immigration law, fearing Muslims would take the
brunt of the new restrictions as they make up the majority of
immigrants in the south-central European country.
“Many
Muslims still don’t hold Austrian citizenship, which makes them
vulnerable to the new bill,” Omar Al-Rawi, the Islamic Religious
Authority (IRA)’s official in charge of the integration file, told
IslamOnline.net.
He
said that the amendments, for example, regard humanitarian work and
assistance for refugees as illegal and punishable by law.
“The
amendments stipulate that illegal and unregistered residents could
face deportation and subject those who provide them with shelter to
prison terms,” added Rawi, who is also a Member of Parliament for
the opposition Socialist party.
According
to estimates, there are some 750,000 immigrants in Austria,
representing 10 percent of the country’s eight-million population.
Muslims,
estimated at nearly half a million, make up some 6 per cent of the
population.
Austria's
right-wing coalition government on Tuesday, May 10, tightened its
immigration laws, which are already considered among the restrictive
in Europe.
A
new law approved by the cabinet of conservative chancellor Wolfgang
Schuessel, extends from six to 10 months the limit on administrative
detention before expulsion.
It
also authorizes forced feeding for asylum seekers who go on hunger
strikes and toughens the penalties for those who resort to fake
marriages.
An
initial assessment of cases within 72 hours after their submission and
immediate rejection, if necessary, are also imposed by the new bill.
The
legislation also sets a 20-day maximum for the assessment of an
application for political asylum and restricts the movements of the
applicants during this period.
It
further obliges new immigrants to attend a minimum 300-hour
German-language course.
Social
Woes
 |
|
Bagaghati
said the restrictive measure creates a fertile ground for thefts
and drug trafficking.
|
Rawi
warned that the new bill would help increase crime rates in Austria.
“Jobless
asylum seekers could resort to robbery to make a living,” he said.
Turfa
Bagaghati, Deputy Chairman of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR),
agreed that the restrictive measure creates a fertile ground for
thefts and drug trafficking.
He
said it will further open the door for tax evasions as many employers
would skip government insurance programs.
Bagaghati
also maintained that forced feeding contravenes human rights.
“Prisoners
go on hunger strike to draw attention to their distress and the
injustice done to them, and they shouldn’t be forced to do something
against their will,” he stressed.
Under
the new amendments, 1072 prisoners, who staged hunger strikes, have
been released to be deported later.
The
amendments have further raised the ire of Austrian rights activists,
who accused the government of ignoring Constitution.
They
said that the government failed to honor its pledges as the interior
minister had promised to issue work permits for all foreigners living
in Austria.
The
clauses of the new bill come from previous legislation on asylum
seekers which was declared invalid in October by the constitutional
court after it was passed by the ruling coalition of conservative and
extreme-right parties in December 2003.
The
court ruled that it was unconstitutional to prohibit asylum seekers
who had initially had their application dismissed, to present new
legal arguments on appeal. However, this clause does not appear in the
new bill approved.
According
to interior ministry estimates, some 5,918 immigrants were granted
political asylum over the past four months out of a total of 24,634
applicants.
Since
2002, some 24,000 people have been granted political asylum from
72,000 applications made in Austria, which is ranked fourth in Europe
for its number of political refugees behind Britain, Germany and
France.
There
are currently 30,000 people awaiting a decision on their applications
for political asylum.
