Further Funding of Integration Projects for Ukrainians in Austria
The Austrian government recently initiated a special call for project proposals. The aim is to facilitate the integration of Ukrainian displaced persons in Austria and to give them access to social life. The projects are financed with funds from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Federal Chancellery.
Susanne Raab wants to fund integration projects with a total of 1.6 million euros. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Christoper Dunker
Austria wants to help Ukrainian displaced persons more in the future and has therefore recently initiated a special call for project proposals. These are to be financed with money now made available from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
Project proposals can be submitted to the Federal Chancellery by private and public organisations until Thursday, 2 June 2022.
The assistance offered is also urgently needed. As of April, according to UNHCR and IOM, 4.5 million people have already fled Ukraine, and according to forecasts, approximately 200,000 displaced persons are expected in Austria. Almost half of the people who have arrived so far are not of working age, i.e. children and young people, and more than 80% of the arriving adults are women.
The objective is therefore to create an offer that facilitates the integration of the people coming to Austria. Among other things, language courses are increasingly promoted, which are intended to encourage rapid active participation in social and economic life in Austria.
Integration into the Austrian labour market is also to be facilitated. This is of great importance, as Ukrainians who possess a displaced persons' card have full access to the labour market. Assistance is to be provided in the recognition of qualifications acquired abroad and qualification measures are to be offered to consolidate professional language skills.
A total of 1.2 million euros will be provided from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, and 400,000 euros from funds of the Federal Chancellery.
According to ORF, Integration Minister Susanne Raab explains in a written statement: "We want to support the displaced persons from Ukraine, who were forced to leave their homeland due to the terrible war, in their everyday life and integration in Austria as best and as quickly as possible".