A new survey has revealed that an overwhelming majority of Austrians support stricter asylum measures, including a halt to family reunification for asylum seekers.
Conducted by UniqueResearch for ATV, the poll found that more than 80 percent of respondents back tighter asylum regulations, with 59 percent expressing strong support and an additional 22 percent indicating moderate approval. Only 12 percent of Austrians opposed the policy.
Support for the measure is consistent across the political spectrum, with a majority of voters from all major political parties calling for an asylum crackdown.
The poll follows an announcement by the new Austrian coalition government to impose a temporary “zero quota” on family reunifications, a step officials say is necessary to address the ongoing asylum crisis and the strain on Austria’s social systems.
Cynics believe the move is a token gesture to appease supporters of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) — the party that won the most seats in last year’s federal election but is not represented in the new coalition after talks with establishment parties failed.
On Wednesday, the Council of Ministers initiated the first steps towards implementing the policy. The government stated that all “necessary steps” would be pursued at the European level to enforce the halt on reunifications. While the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) has been in government for years, critics argue that previous efforts to impose stricter family reunification policies have stalled, despite mounting pressure from the public and rising concerns over the sustainability of Austria’s asylum policies.
ÖVP voters were the most vociferous in their support of the plan, with 96 percent in favor of a more restrictive policy.
This was followed by FPÖ supporters at 94 percent, with voters of the liberal NEOS even backing the proposal overwhelmingly at 83 percent.
Voters of the Socialists (SPÖ) and the Greens also backed the plans by a majority, with 68 percent and 61 percent in favor respectively.
Political analyst Alexandra Siegl told Heute that while the government’s ability to enforce such a measure at the EU level remains uncertain, the shift in public sentiment toward more restrictive immigration policies is clear.
“It is not surprising that FPÖ and ÖVP supporters overwhelmingly back the halt on family reunifications,” Siegl said. “However, the fact that majorities within the NEOS, SPÖ, and even Green voter bases are in favor highlights how attitudes on immigration have become more restrictive in recent years.”
The government’s push for stricter asylum measures comes in the wake of a contentious political climate. After coalition negotiations between the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and the ÖVP collapsed, a new alliance was formed between the ÖVP, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal NEOS. Despite the FPÖ’s strong electoral performance, the establishment parties have once again taken the reins of government.
Following its formation earlier this month, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl accused the ÖVP of holding “sham negotiations” with his party while simultaneously hashing out talks with the “losing traffic light coalition in back rooms.”
The FPÖ had amassed considerable support for its anti-mass immigration pledges that would have seen deportations ramped up, naturalizations halted, and far stricter measures impacting new arrivals into the country.
Last month, Kickl had proposed extending the current 10-year waiting period for naturalization to 15 years, aiming to prevent migrants who arrived during the 2015 crisis from obtaining citizenship in the near future.
“Asylum means temporary protection! Our citizenship is a high asset, not a gift for everyone,” Kickl said at the time. It would have become the longest residency duration requirement in the European Union.
