KOHLBACHER, Josef and SCHIOCCHET, Leonardo (Eds.) 2017. From Destination to Integration – Afghan, Syrian And Iraqi Refugees in Vienna (ISR-Forschungsberichte, Heft 47). Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. (original) (raw)
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Th is article sets out to highlight present-day anthropological contributions to the fi eld of forced migration and to the current debates on this topic in Europe through the experience of developing an international and in terdisciplinary network for the study of refugees based in Vienna, Austria. To this end, this article engages with the grounding facts of the present Central European sociohistorical context and global political trends, grapples with shift ing and questionable research funding landscapes such as the focus on "integration, " illustrates some of the main current research challenges, and highlights pressing topics. It concludes proposing a research horizon to counter present strong limitations on forced migration research and steer this research toward a more meaningful direction.
Refugee studies in Austria today
Focaal, 2020
This article sets out to highlight present-day anthropological contributions to the field of forced migration and to the current debates on this topic in Europe through the experience of developing an international and interdisciplinary network for the study of refugees based in Vienna, Austria. To this end, this article engages with the grounding facts of the present Central European sociohistorical context and global political trends, grapples with shifting and questionable research funding landscapes such as the focus on “integration,” illustrates some of the main current research challenges, and highlights pressing topics. It concludes proposing a research horizon to counter present strong limitations on forced migration research and steer this research toward a more meaningful direction.
Institut für Demographie - VID
In late 2015, a survey called DiPAS (Displaced persons in Austria survey) was carried out in and around Vienna to study the socio-demographic characteristics, values and attitudes of asylum seekers arriving in Austria in 2015. In that year, the number of persons seeking refuge in Europe was substantially high, with Austria being the fourth largest receiving country of asylum seekers in Europe. This data collection is the first of its kind in Austria and to our knowledge the first in Europe focusing on the recent arrivals of Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan asylum seekers. First results on human capital and attitudes of DiPAS respondents have been published recently. The current paper presents the methodological approach of collecting these data, experiences from survey preparation, and insights from the field phase. Findings address four key challenges faced by surveys of the highly mobile and vulnerable group of asylum seekers, namely (1) representativity, (2) language barriers, (3) ethical considerations, and (4) cultural diversity. We discuss concrete solutions and recommendations for similar (inter)national, cross-cultural surveys, and provide insights for planning longitudinal studies on displaced persons who recently arrived in Europe.
Changes and Continuities in Austria's Coping with Refugee Crises over Three Centuries
Journal of Austrian-American History, 2018
By bringing together the most important refugee crises that struck first the Habsburg Empire and later the Republic of Austria during the last three hundred years, this paper analyzes the longue durée experiences this country has had in dealing with such situations. It explores the driving factors behind societal and governmental responses and conceives four topics that are recurrent, if in different forms: 1) the socioeconomic disruption and the ethical imperative to provide relief; 2) the legal authorities and their power to determine a legal settlement and the ultimate right to belong; 3) their quest to maintain sovereignty and control; and 4) the question of the legitimacy of refugees as perceived by authorities but also by a (fickle) public opinion.
Human Capital, Values, and Attitudes of Persons Seeking Refuge in Austria in 2015
PLOS ONE , 2016
Since its inception in 2010, the Arab Spring has evolved into a situation of violent conflict in many countries, leading to high levels of migration from the affected region. Given the social impact of the large number of individuals applying for asylum across Europe in 2015, it is important to study who these persons are in terms of their skills, motivations, and intentions. DiPAS (Displaced Persons in Austria Survey) aims to uncover the socio-demographic characteristics of the persons seeking refuge who arrived in Austria in 2015, mainly originating from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Particular focus is on human capital, attitudes and values. This survey, the first of its kind in Austria and possibly in Europe, was carried out among adult displaced persons, mostly residing in Vienna, yielding 514 completed interviews. Information gathered on spouses and children allows for the analysis of 972 persons living in Austria, and of further 419 partners and children abroad. Results indicate that the surveyed population comprised mainly young families with children, particularly those coming from Syria and Iraq. Their educational level is high compared with the average level in their country of origin. A vast majority of respondents are Muslims, rating their religiosity at medium levels. Judging from stated attitudes towards gender equity, interviewed men seem to have more liberal attitudes than their compatriots. The majority of respondents do not intend to return to their home countries, mostly because of the perception of permanent threat. DiPAS provides data for political decision-making and the ongoing societal dialogue. Its findings can help to inform assessments about the integration potential of the displaced population into the host society. In addition, the applied methodological technique and experiences during the fieldwork provide valuable insights on sampling asylum seekers and refugees in the current European context.
Respond Working Paper Series, 2019
This report deals with the protection of refugees in Austria between 2011 and 2018 by drawing (1) from an analysis of the legal framework and its implementation and (2) by building on extensive field research conducted under the framework of the RESPOND project. It shows that the so-called “refugee crisis” of 2015 represents a crucial turning point in asylum policy. While refugee protection remains intact as a constitutionally secured right, the Austrian government introduced a number of legal restrictions, including procedural hurdles, emergency provisions allowing for restricted access to federal territory and thus the asylum procedure, as well as restrictions for persons who obtain protection status. These reforms occurred at a time when the Common European Asylum System displayed serious deficiencies. Professionals in the field of asylum that we have interviewed for this project, largely point to the need for an alternative to the Dublin regime, for example in the form of solidary distribution mechanisms as well as a stronger harmonization of national asylum procedures within the European Union. At the national level, an implementation gap became evident in relation to the quality of first instance decisions by the Immigration Office as well as a in the context of rejected asylum seekers and effectively conducted returns. Among asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection, a central topic is the long waiting time connected to the asylum procedure, particularly in combination with a ban on taking up formal employment. Both asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection expressed a sense of incomprehension regarding legal criteria for asylum decisions. From a practical stance, this means a lack of transparency regarding certain procedural steps. From a normative stance, it implies that particularly persons who have spent several years in Austria, making great integration efforts, developed frustration and anger about receiving a negative first instance decision.