Weekly Briefing: Rising Migration in Austria
The Find out more about this week's developments. For Austria, new questions arise about the migration and integration of refugees. The coronavirus quarantine ends in August. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.
Take five minutes to catch up on this week’s essential news! / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Filip Nohe [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.de)], modified and edited
Rising Migration in Austria
A new study by Statistics Austria analysed the countries of origin of Austrians and found that more than a quarter of the Austrian population has a migration background.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more than 6.5 million people have had to leave their homes and seek protection in another country. More than 70,000 people have already come to Austria. Now, the Integration Minister in Austria has launched a new support fund for displaced persons, which is intended to support the integration of displaced persons.
The year 2022 has so far been exceptional for Austria in terms of integration and presents Austria with a mammoth task, according to Integration Minister Susanne Raab. The presentation of the Integration Report 2022 on Monday provided new insights into immigration in Austria.
Russo-Ukrainian War
By intervening in Ukraine, the Russian war of aggression and resulting food crisis have exacerbated the already existing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. Financial resources from the Foreign Disaster Fund have recently been released by the Austrian Federal Government to assist on the ground in order to help.
The situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in the Russian-occupied zone of Ukraine is increasingly worrying, according to recent reports. In order to avoid an accident that could endanger the health of the Ukrainian and other public, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has advised the utmost caution.
Austrian Diplomacy towards Europe
The Foreign Minister of Croatia, Gordan Grlić Radman, met in Vienna with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg. Further, the Croatian Foreign Minister met with representatives of the Croatian community in Austria.
Central Europe is currently under a fire risk because of the heat and low rainfall. It is also the case in Slovenia. Austria's neighbor has experienced fires on more than 500 hectares in the last few days and has called on European assistance.
The International Ausschwitz Committee expressed its horror after racist statements and a Holocaust joke by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Committee Vice-President Christoph Heubner then called on Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer to confront Orban during his upcoming visit to Vienna.
Germany and Austria have joint responsibility for storing gas, according to Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). "We have always coordinated well with Germany," the minister said today, referring to the Haidach storage facility near Salzburg, which is also important for Germany.
What Else Happened This Week?
By today, ecosystems would need about a year to replenish their resources. According to the Global Footprint Network, which is based in the United States and Switzerland, Earth Overshoot Day is slightly earlier this year than last.
The coronavirus quarantine ends in August. This was confirmed by Health Minister Johannes Rauch. Accordingly, anyone who does not feel ill can leave the house even after a positive CoV test but is subject to traffic restrictions.
The Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, will attend the opening of this year's European Forum Alpbach (EFA) together with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on August 22.
The Salzburg Festival has been ceremoniously opened. In addition to rousing speakers such as author Ilija Trojanow and Festival President Kristina Hammer, the Austrian Federal President also appealed to the unity of Europe.
Former Wirecard board member Jan Marsalek, who has been in hiding for two years, could be living in Moscow under the protection of Russian intelligence services.
An ambitious hydrogen project is currently being undertaken by Austria in order to reduce the country's reliance on foreign energy suppliers in the future. Austria's largest electrolyser will be built in Burgenland in the future. This will contribute to Austria's energy independence by producing green hydrogen in a sustainable manner.