In Austria we live in a so-called constitutional state. We trust that we can appeal to independent courts, that we can call on the knowledge of experts/lawyers in the respective fields during court proceedings. And we rely on the fact that all people in our country are entitled to this rule of law, this independent legal advice and legal representation. This situation is in danger!
In 2019, the Austrian legislator has decided on a fundamental change in the asylum system. This will have a devastating effect:
- There will no longer be independent legal advice. In future, this will be provided by the state asylum system. Imagine that the arbitrator belongs to the other team. Or their lawyer works for the other side (or: was commissioned by the other side).
- The state asylum system controls itself. There is to be no independent control in the future. This means an undermining of the rule of law and is more than questionable under constitutional law.
- People are sealed off and isolated. So far, accommodation has mostly been provided by NGOs and private providers on behalf of the Republic of Austria. Civil society has always had access, countless initiatives have emerged. They organised German courses and got involved in many ways. This is in danger in the future: the newly created Federal Support Agency (BBU) will take over this task. (Source: http://Www.fairlassen.at)
What are the consequences:
We neither know who is applying for asylum in our country, nor will the asylum application be accepted, nor who will be deported and when. And if I may remind you of the former IM, whose statement also defined the goal of downgrading Austria to 0 asylum applications, then as a member of an NGO, as an activist and as an active supporter of people on the run, I know very well with all my experience what that means and entails.
- We will not know who is housed where
- we will not know when and how often traumatised, frightened people inflict autoagressive injuries on themselves in their desperation. Carve their arms, legs bleeding to distract themselves from their suffering, their grief. Teenagers, children, young people. No, I don't want that! I don't want that, I can't support that.
- we will not know when and how often suicide attempts happen and how often people are then left completely alone.
- and we will have no knowledge of when someone takes his/her own life in despair.
We can no longer offer any support. No German courses, no sports groups, no community work, no communal meal times, cooking classes, no meetings in communities, clubs, music groups.
We can no longer let humanity and warmth flow, no longer dry tears, no longer listen to stories, no longer hold hands when the grief over what we have experienced becomes too great.
We can no longer ask our therapist friends for professional support, we can no longer give hope, we can watch humanity die in our country.
Appeal for support
Regardless of the outcome of the proceedings, where people will live one day, we must not allow this "concentration", this exclusion, this isolation of people under any circumstances.
It not only has fatal social consequences for our country, our community in the now, it also leaves a responsibility, a burden whose burden, whose unkindness we should not leave on any of our children, the next generation.
With this form, the BBU, with the attitude towards independent legal advice, with the complete isolation of people in greatest need, we are going down a path of harshness, of inhumanity, the consequences of which, I am convinced, few of us want to, or can, take on. It is the end of our own dignity! Yes, crassly formulated, but the reality of the BBU is even more crass, even if it is sold as efficient and humane for ideological reasons, in reality it is the door to the darkest sides of human abuse of power.
Stand up together with us, write emails to political leaders, contact NGOs such as Caritas Austria, Asylkoordination Österreich, Diakonie, support the petition on http://www.fairlassen/petition.at.
Let's save humanity, let's refuse business and deals with people, youth, children who are in greatest need.
And yes, I know it is sometimes tedious, it takes time, it sometimes makes you sad, but it is simply necessary now!
THE INJUSTICE IS TOO GREAT!
Doro Blancke