The debate surrounding immigration has flared up once again in Austria following revelations that a Syrian family with seven children, who reside in the capital, Vienna, are receiving €4,600 in social benefits per month. While the Social Democrats are calling for an increase in benefits, right-wing FPÖ described the revelations as a “mockery of all working people.”
The story was first reported by daily Heute. According to the newspaper, the parents in question receive €809 per month plus €51 each, as minors live in the household. In addition, six of the seven children each receive €312, and another €995 goes towards renting an apartment. In comparison: people who work full-time in Austria earn an average of €2,643, and the minimum pension rate is currently €1,155.
“Every child is welcome in Vienna and needs something to eat,” the capital’s social affairs city councillor, Social democrat politician Peter Hacker said, defending Vienna’s generous handouts to migrants. The same family would receive €2,450 in the state of Lower Austria, which is governed by the centre-right People’s Party and the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ).
“With these gifts of money for doing nothing, Mayor Michael Ludwig is luring economic migrants from Arabia and Africa to Vienna,” FPÖ’s leader in Vienna, Dominik Nepp told Heute.
According to media outlet Exxpress, the Social Democrats would increase benefits even further, if they come to power in the whole of Austria following federal parliamentary elections in the autumn. Their leader,Andreas Babler recently presented what he considers to be a desirable model for basic child benefits—this would significantly raise the current amounts, leading to around €6,800 per month for a migrant family with seven children.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the People’s Party criticised the Social Democrats, calling their plans “an attack on all those who get up and go to work every day.” He added that if he is re-elected as chancellor, he would implement his so-called Österreichplan (Plan for Austria) which he announced in January. Under this scheme only those who have resided legally in Austria for five years would receive full social benefits.
However, right-wing FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl questioned whether Nehammer could be trusted, as the excesses in social benefits, and the dire security situation caused by a huge influx of illegal migrants, are the result of both his leadership, and the SPÖ’s governance of Vienna.
The FPÖ’s strong stance on migration has catapulted the party to first place in opinion polls, which predict that the party will get 28% of the votes at the elections on September 29th. Chancellor Nehammer’s People’s party is currently in second place on 22%, and the Social democrats are third on 21%.