Austria requires asylum seekers to work in exchange for subsistence
Since July 2024, asylum seekers (Asylwerber) in state basic care centers (Bundesgrundversorgungseinrichtungen) in Austria are legally required to perform public service work. In the first partial report released by the Ministry of the Interior (Innenministerium), more than 292,000 hours of charitable work have been carried out between July 2024 and mid-April 2025.
The data indicates that 77% of asylum seekers complied with these obligations, while 23% did not participate, and financial assistance (pocket money) provided to them was reduced accordingly.
According to the new system, every asylum seeker capable of working is required to perform ten hours of community work per month, such as caring for gardens and green spaces or municipal playgrounds. Only those with documented physical disabilities or health conditions are exempt from these tasks.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner described this measure as part of a "strict and fair asylum policy," adding that the suspension of family reunification for recognized refugees is an additional step in the same direction.
The minister also pointed out the reduction of the number of state-run primary care centers from more than 30 to only eight currently, as part of a government policy aimed at tightening controls and achieving maximum effectiveness. More details are available on the official website of the Ministry of Interior.