Key Findings
Best practice (100% score)
Security of employment and rights associated with labour market access
Unfavourable
Eligibility for labour market access
Eligibility for and security of nationality
Fields of application for anti-discrimination law
Implementation policies for political participation
Conditions for family reunion
Critically unfavourable (0% score)
Electoral rights
Labour market integration measures
Change since 2004
More favourable rights associated with labour market access
Less favourable conditions for family reunion and long-term residence
Less favourable eligibility and conditions for access to nationality
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Overview
Austria, a traditional country of immigration, has witnessed high levels of immigration and naturalisation in recent years. The former centre-right government's initiatives to restrict migration - such as much tougher income requirements - have reduced the number of people moving to Austria to reunite with their relatives. Similar requirements for international students are expected to reduce their numbers (1). The number of migrants becoming Austrian citizens has also taken a sharp decline by 17% in the first 9 months of 2006, partly due to the entry into force of the new citizenship law. The new Grand Coalition intends to introduce new integration measures, such as language training courses and the promotion of kindergarten for immigrant children.
The MIPEX policy indicators find that Austria offers legally-resident third-country nationals (hereafter, migrants') the least favourable access to nationality out of the 28 MIPEX countries. Policies for families to reunite fall second from the bottom, after CY. In the EU-15, the anti-discrimination laws relevant to integration score 14th and long-term residence policies rank 13th. Policies for political participation are slightly favourable, whilst those concerning labour market access lie halfway to best practice.
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Integration Policy Timeline
01/01/2006
Settlement and Residence Act entered into force
13/01/2006
Change of the Act on the Chamber of Labour and the Act on Institutional Settings
23/03/2006
Entry into force of amendments to nationality law
7/04/2006
Conference of European Imams (involving 100 Austrian Imams and 130 from across Europe) called for integration to emphasise participation, identification processes and anti-discrimination
06/2006
Citizenship test on culture, history and politics launched, despite survey showing 1/3 of Austrians could not pass
15/12/2006
Parliament ends measure denying social welfare to Austrian-born children of migrants or asylum-seekers
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Migrant Profile
