22nd January 2016

Austria puts an upper limit to asylum claims

Although the country long refused to cap its acceptance of asylum seekers, last week Chancellor Faymann presented a new policy. This year, Austria will accept 37 500 asylum claims, and further 127 500 through 2019. The exact meaning of this measure is unclear – Chancellor Faymann called it a target, while his Vice-Chancellor called it a true limit. Austria recorded some 90 000 asylum claims last year. Although the legality of a cap on asylum is questionable from the international law perspective, Austria resorted to this emergency measure after an extremely tough year of uncontrolled migration. The cap should also be interpreted as a wake-up call for the EU to curb migration, Austrian representatives stated. Germany, which accepted 1.1 million asylum claims last year declined to comment. What will happen with asylum-seekers who do not make it in time before the cap is reached remains unclear. For more, click here and here.

Members of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic