Salzburg stops receiving large Ukrainian families
The Deputy Governor of Salzburg, Marlene Svazek from the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), announced the closure of state-run accommodation centers to large Ukrainian families, calling for a suspension of the Ukrainian refugee list and not to accept more families coming from areas not experiencing war.
Sfazik sees that this special system lures more large families, especially from ethnic groups like 'Sinti and Roma', to benefit from social assistance in Austria, which has led to a heavy burden on educational and social systems. She clarified that there are currently about 500 people from this category in Salzburg.
Sfazik strongly criticizes what she described as "opening the door wide for the misuse of aid," pointing out that the federal government has been aware of this for months but has not taken any concrete action. She stated: "Our educational system is exhausted, child and youth assistance is being drained, and social structures are being excessively exploited, under an outdated and ineffective regulation."
Sfazik confirmed that she does not want to give any justification for these families to come or stay in Salzburg, announcing a halt to receiving large families in the state-run centers, and refusing to wait for further examinations or government promises with delayed solutions. She provided figures showing the extent of support these families receive, as a family of 6 children receives more than 3129 euros monthly, while another family of 8 children receives more than 4298 euros, including living expenses, personal allowances, and family aid.
Sfazik questioned the logic of large families coming from western Ukraine, who do not speak Ukrainian or Russian, and some of whom are illiterate, receiving residency and assistance based solely on a Ukrainian passport. She warned that schools are facing significant difficulties in integrating linguistically uneducated children, which increases the challenges in the entire educational system. She confirmed that the state has been trying for months to communicate with the federal government by all means without any significant response, despite raising the issue in front of Minister Claudia Blackholm last April. In conclusion, Sfazik renewed her call to suspend the Ukrainian refugee regulation and stop the automatic provision of aid, announcing that she would send a new message to the government to push for urgent action.