Immigration: This Step Taken by Lower Austria and Styria

Lower Austria and Styria want fewer immigrants. Therefore, they have requested from the Ministry of the Interior to be allocated a smaller number of places in the Settlement Regulation. This request is granted in the draft for the new regulation. However, the Ministry of the Interior does not fulfill Lower Austria's demand to reduce its quota to zero for legal reasons.

What is the Settlement Regulation?

The Settlement Regulation primarily allocates places to family members of workers who are joining them. But also private individuals (without the intention to work, but with sufficient wealth) can come to the country through the quota.

The regulation currently under review, although the year is already ending, refers to 2025. Previously, the regulation for 2024 was extended. The same now applies to 2026. The values currently being set for this year will continue to be applied until a new regulation comes.

Therefore, the 2025 numbers are also significant for the coming months. A total of 5,616 places are planned, which is significantly less than in the still valid regulation (5,846).

No Zero Quota for Lower Austria

This is primarily due to Styria wanting fewer places. Specifically, the number decreases from 588 to 433. According to the Ministry of the Interior, there was also a well-founded reason for this, namely primarily an overload in the education sector. Lower Austria, on the other hand, wanted a zero quota for family reunification, although the Settlement Regulation usually governs the immigration of family members of workers.

The proposal from the Ministry of the Interior now provides for 273 places in Lower Austria, down from 348. Of these, 225 are for family reunification. Other federal states, where the FPÖ is responsible for this area in the state government, were satisfied with the continuation of the quota places. This applies, for example, to Upper Austria with 795 residence permits. This is the second largest number after Vienna with 2,865 places.

How the numbers will ultimately look is still open. The review period runs until December 16.

(APA/Red)

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