(VOVworld) – Austria is drafting a law aiming to effectively push the local communities to host refugees, Chancellor Werner Faymann said Friday.
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| Asylum seekers carry a tent in the asylum processing center in Traiskirchen, Austria, July 31, 2015. (Photo: Reuters/Leonhard Foeger) |
In the first half of the year, thousands of refugees fled into Austria, which led to a surge in asylum requests. Faymann called the refugee issue "Europe’s biggest challeng"e. He said that Austria has do utmost to create more space for refugees. But, he added, it was not enough. He said the draft law would provide accommodation for 80,000 to 160,000 immigrants.
Austria, a small country of around 8.5 million people, received more than 28,000 asylum requests in 2014, three times the European average relative to population size.